UK to US DDP shipping: what it costs and how to price it
Facts checked 2026-11-03 · HTS Revision 22 (2026)
The cost stack for a UK → US parcel
| Layer | Typical figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US duty | HTS General rate for your item + 10% (9903.05.81, goods of the UK, with exceptions) | HTS |
| Royal Mail PDDP handling | £0.50 per parcel to the USA (some sellers report being billed more; check your invoice) | Royal Mail |
| Etsy transaction fee | 6.5% of item price + shipping | Etsy |
| Etsy payment processing (UK bank) | 4% + £0.20 per order | Etsy |
| Etsy regulatory operating fee (UK) | 0.48% | Etsy |
Royal Mail describes International Tracked to the USA as a postal DDP service: the duty is calculated and paid when you post, and a single handling fee covers checking and calculating it (Royal Mail). Its PDDP service to the US is limited to parcels up to $2,500 (Royal Mail).
Courier instead?
Couriers usually add a disbursement fee for paying duty on your behalf: UPS’s US import guide lists 2% of duties with a $5 minimum, and FedEx lists the greater of $17.50 or 2.5% from July 20, 2026. On a low-value parcel these minimums can exceed the duty. See postal vs courier DDP.
Note on currency: DDPCalc converts your pounds to dollars with the ECB reference rate of the sync date; you can type your own bank rate.
Try it with your numbers. The link below opens the calculator prefilled for this case. Change anything.
Open a UK → US example (25% margin) →FAQ
What extra duty applies to UK goods entering the US?
As of HTS Revision 22 (2026), heading 9903.05.81 adds 10% on top of the normal rate for most goods of the United Kingdom, with listed exceptions.
What does Royal Mail charge for US DDP?
Royal Mail lists a 50p per-parcel handling fee for its USA PDDP services, on top of postage and the duty itself, for parcels up to $2,500.
Sources
- Royal Mail: Postal Delivered Duties Paid (PDDP)
- Royal Mail: sending to the USA
- HTS 9903.05.81
- Etsy Help: payment processing fees
- Etsy Help: Regulatory Operating fee
Estimate and general information only, not legal, tax or customs advice.