Ebay Import Charge

[B2Blain]

I've held off on buying models and supplies from overseas because of the tariff issue. I accidentally ordered B-2 decals from Estonia, of all places, off of Etsy. It didn't occur to me later to check. Fortunately, I didn't get charged import duties from USPS. I started to wonder about whether I would be charged since Ebay are individual sellers. Does anyone know what the practice is?

 

Thanks!

[Robert Garelli]

I been holding off as well, not sure how this is going to work out. So doing the wait and see for now. I been checking to make sure the seller is in the U.S. before I order. I don't want to pay $25.00 for an item and then get hit with a $80.00 fee on top of that. 

[Dave Williams]

In some of the listings from Chinese sellers, eBay claims there are no additional import charges.  I recently got a Meng Leopard 2A6 and GWH AC-130J via eBay and didn’t have to pay anything extra.  Have a Meng F-4 Terminator 2020 in the hopper, that I hope gets sent out soon.

[sierrascale]

Any tariffs are assessed by US Customs when the item arrives in the States and any fee has to be paid by the customer before the item is delivered by USPS. Neither the  seller nor eBay has anything to do with, or collects/charges any tariffs. Trump has been saying all along that the countries pay the tariffs, but this is misinformation.

Some Chinese sellers have/had astronomically increased the shipping charges to discourage US buyers because international postal shipping from China has/had been frozen. Again, sellers have nothing to do with/don't collect any tariffs; they are paid by the customer in the US. 

[Niels]

@sierrascale is correct, it is the buyer who pays the tariff on import. The only exception would be if you buy something from ie China that goes through the US or US terretories before arriving in your country. 

 

Without turning this into politics, the intent of the tariff is to get companies to reestablish themselves in teh US to create jobs and thus tax income. But until such time the consumer in the US pays most of the tariffs. 

[B2Blain]

6 hours ago, sierrascale said:

Any tariffs are assessed by US Customs when the item arrives in the States and any fee has to be paid by the customer before the item is delivered by USPS. Neither the  seller nor eBay has anything to do with, or collects/charges any tariffs. Trump has been saying all along that the countries pay the tariffs, but this is misinformation.

Some Chinese sellers have/had astronomically increased the shipping charges to discourage US buyers because international postal shipping from China has/had been frozen. Again, sellers have nothing to do with/don't collect any tariffs; they are paid by the customer in the US. 

That was my understanding. If something comes in from a known overseas business, like Temu, US Customs will know to attach duties to the item. But if the item comes from and individual then how does Customs make a determination that duties need to be applied? Unless the shipper has to declare it?

 

This is a sea change in terms of how the USG treats imports. It's a lot easier to apply a tariff to imports that come in by bulk via a ship or aircraft. I am not sure if US Customs is set up to inspect the process every parcel that comes in from overseas.

 

Thank you to all who responded with their thoughts on the issue.

[Niels]

1 minute ago, B2Blain said:

But if the item comes from and individual then how does Customs make a determination that duties need to be applied? Unless the shipper has to declare it?

 

I've sold privately to foreign countries at times in the past, and when sending you are obliged to detail the contents of the parcel. Either by description which can be linked to a customs code, or directly by code. This is the declaration process. So no parcels are sent without the content being known.
Should you manage to send without, customs will surely stop it and do their own classification, alternatively return the parcel to sender or outright destroy it.  

[Robert Garelli]

I am in the shipping industry, the vessel cargo side. While I was on a vessel this morning with CBP we were discussing this subject. Basically the seller will be obligated to collect and pay the tariff tax, but of course this will be added to your final total and its based on the country the shipment is originating from. If your shipment arrives without tax being collected and paid, the shipment will be returned to the seller or destroyed. Each country will have a different tax. 

 

Either way this was coming, Biden was working on cutting the de-minims amount slowly, $800.00 to $500.00 and so on to lessen the pain.  Trump being a bull in a China shop is just getting it over with and implementing it out right. The pain was coming, whether it was next week o a couple of years, it was still coming. 

 

 

[MoFo]

5 hours ago, B2Blain said:

But if the item comes from and individual then how does Customs make a determination that duties need to be applied?

 

Because everything has duties that need to be applied.  If it is coming into your country, it has duties that need to be applied.  Just like they inspect every parcel to ensure it's not smuggling illegal goods (or at least, they should be; Canada takes this very basic step to ensure people aren't smuggling fentanyl 🙄), they will also inspect every parcel to ensure it has the correct customs declarations, then it is assessed for taxes owing. 

 

4 hours ago, Robert Garelli said:

Basically the seller will be obligated to collect and pay the tariff tax

 

This is not correct.  At least, not as regards retail, consumer shipping.  Your great aunt Gertrude isn't collecting and remitting taxes on behalf of your government on the birthday present she sends you.  I am not collecting and remitting taxes on behalf of your government if I sell a kit to you.  Hannants is not collecting and remitting import taxes on behalf of your government if they sell a kit to you. 

 

Aside from the fact that there was zero thought put into the policy implementation and said policy is constantly being changed on one person's whim, there isn't really any mystery as to how this works, except that, now, everything gets taxed, instead of just packages worth more than $800.  This is a solved, well understood action in literally every country around the world.

[Robert Garelli]

10 hours ago, MoFo said:

This is not correct.  At least, not as regards retail, consumer shipping.  Your great aunt Gertrude isn't collecting and remitting taxes on behalf of your government on the birthday present she sends you.  I am not collecting and remitting taxes on behalf of your government if I sell a kit to you.  Hannants is not collecting and remitting import taxes on behalf of your government if they sell a kit to you. 

 

 

As for my aunty Gertrude, leave her out of it! 🙂 Agree, not sure how the U.S. Government is going to collect. I would think it would be collected at the post office based on the value declared on the form like other countries do it and you would pay it on the receiving end, which would make the most sense. I was talking more about the Retail seller on the other would need to collect, but still don't see how that would work either.  

  When we receive small packages for our ships from Europe or Asia, DHL, FedEx or UPS the carrier provides the info before hand and we pay the tax ahead of time for the small parcels with values greater than $800.00. Big items that come airfreight we go thru a Customers Broker which is different process. 

  

 

[Dave Williams]

Small individual packages sent through the mail services are covered by the De Minimus exemption that exempts packages valued under $800 from duties and customs.  That’s why a lot of stuff that comes from eBay doesn’t have any charges.  However, "A TERM FOR THE US PRESIDENT" has ended De Minimus exemption for packages coming from China and HK, and is supposed to end it for packages from everywhere at the end of this month.  That said, I’ve gotten a couple of packages from Chinese eBay sellers without any additional charges since all this started.  We’ll see what actually happens.  I’m not in any way worried about it.  I keep buying stuff like I have been, and the first time I get a note that I have to pay extra money to pick up my package from the post office, I’ll stop.  Simple as that.

Edited August 14, 2025 by phantom
Sorry got a complaint about politics in this post...Even though I personally agree with you, its against the rules.

[sierrascale]

3 hours ago, Robert Garelli said:

...Agree, not sure how the U.S. Government is going to collect. I would think it would be collected at the post office based on the value declared on the form like other countries do it and you would pay it on the receiving end, which would make the most sense. I was talking more about the Retail seller on the other would need to collect, but still don't see how that would work either. ...

 

The same way USPS collects it if there is postage due. They knock on your door and ask for a check or leave a note and you have to retrieve it at the PO, or attach a check to the note. A few months ago, a Facebook Graveyard Auction seller sent my kit in a cobbled-together Priority Mail box that required postage due for a larger size box. My mailman left me a note. I attached a check to the note and the next day he collected it and left my package. Seven bucks. I told the seller that USPS had caught him out for cheating, but he never replied. I just never bid on his auction any more.

[breadneck]

Welcome to the real world i guess. As far as i have understood, US consumers have been living a very good life without being "sanctioned" by any import fees for years or god knows for how long. A sweet story, but nothing lasts forever right. It sounds like a lot of the time this proves to be a dealbreaker which is a shame, but i feel the same way.

 

It bugs me much more that liquids like small tins of paint are banned from overseas shipments because of the EU and all their rules (i wish they would just collapse and die) 

[MoFo]

55 minutes ago, breadneck said:

It bugs me much more that liquids like small tins of paint are banned from overseas shipments because of the EU and all their rules (i wish they would just collapse and die) 

 

It has nothing at all to do with the EU.  It's a regulation originated by the US DOT and IATA, which has been adopted worldwide, after a number of real-world incidents and crashes.

[82Whitey51]

Tariffs you say??? I say The economy has my 401 looking good.

😃👍

[Scooby]

On 8/12/2025 at 9:43 AM, Niels said:

@sierrascale

Without turning this into politics, the intent of the tariff is to get companies to reestablish themselves in teh US to create jobs and thus tax income. But until such time the consumer in the US pays most of the tariffs. 

 

And paying higher paid US employees will increase the costs even more. There is a good reason countries import goods. To offset costs. Especially on raw materials.

[thegoodsgt]

I see that Hannants will stop shipping to the US at the end of the month.

 

That's one way to solve for this situation.

[sigtau]

42 minutes ago, thegoodsgt said:

I see that Hannants will stop shipping to the US at the end of the month.

 

That's one way to solve for this situation.

Their website says they are shutting down ordering for the USA while they upgrade their system to collect the tariffs. 

[habu2]

I have outstanding pre-orders with overseas companies that I placed before all this de minimus crap started. I guess I'll just have to wait and see if I get screwed by this asenine policy....

[USAFsparkchaser]

I bought two GWH B-52G’s from a eBay seller in Korea for $104 on the 18 of August, they show out for delivery today thru FEDEX. Pretty good deal

[Niels]

On 8/19/2025 at 4:33 PM, thegoodsgt said:

I see that Hannants will stop shipping to the US at the end of the month.

 

That's one way to solve for this situation.

It's only stopped until then can get clarity on how to handle the tariffs. Let's pray it doesn't take long. 

 

I think it is interesting to compare the tariff situation with the change the Norwegian government did a few years back when they too removed the lower limit for when you needed to pay the VAT or not (was 300 NOK limit). After nearly a years transition period, effectively everything now is charged the 25% VAT. Companies like Hannants are required to collect this on behalf of the buyer and monthly pay to the government, by EDI file transfer. The parcel similarly have to be correctly marked to reflect that the parcels VAT is paid. If not, receiver has to pay the VAT prior to being able to collect the parcel however big or small. 
They managed to transition this without any stops in shipping throughout the whole thing. One can only wonder if this solution has been thorougly thought threw given the stoppages to trade that is seen? 

[Scooby]

10 hours ago, Niels said:

It's only stopped until then can get clarity on how to handle the tariffs. Let's pray it doesn't take long. 

 

I think it is interesting to compare the tariff situation with the change the Norwegian government did a few years back when they too removed the lower limit for when you needed to pay the VAT or not (was 300 NOK limit). After nearly a years transition period, effectively everything now is charged the 25% VAT. Companies like Hannants are required to collect this on behalf of the buyer and monthly pay to the government, by EDI file transfer. The parcel similarly have to be correctly marked to reflect that the parcels VAT is paid. If not, receiver has to pay the VAT prior to being able to collect the parcel however big or small. 
They managed to transition this without any stops in shipping throughout the whole thing. One can only wonder if this solution has been thorougly thought threw given the stoppages to trade that is seen? 

None of this has been carefully thought through. The tariffs will and is harming the US economy.

[GW8345]

Funny how the DJIA just skyrocketed over 900 points and is at an all time high, yet our economy is supposedly hurting.

 

I find it humorous when those who are in favor of other people paying their fair share complain when it's their turn to pay their fair share.

[Scooby]

16 minutes ago, GW8345 said:

Funny how the DJIA just skyrocketed over 900 points and is at an all time high, yet our economy is supposedly hurting.

 

I find it humorous when those who are in favor of other people paying their fair share complain when it's their turn to pay their fair share.

That’s because this benefits stocks and the wealthy, you’ll get hit hard in the pocketbook with everyday purchases, from grocery’s to houses.

 

And the markets dropped sharply when this started, the wealthy bought those low stocks which propped the stock market back up.

Edited August 22, 2025 by Scooby

[GW8345]

Prices took a hit under the previous administration and from your post it's clear to me that you don't understand how 401k's, the stock market and the American economy works. 

 

Other countries have been taking advantage of the United States for years, we finally got an administration that is putting a stop to it.