If you ship your Packly order outside the European Union, your parcel may be subject to customs duties or local taxes on arrival at its destination. This doesn’t always happen, and it doesn’t depend on Packly: it depends on the customs rules of the country receiving the shipment.

Here’s everything you need to know so you’re not caught off guard.

When duties and taxes apply

These only apply to shipments outside the EU, meaning those leaving the European Union for a third country (for example, the United States, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom). If your order stays within the EU, there’s nothing to pay at customs.

Not all non-EU countries apply both charges in the same way: some apply only the duty, others only the tax equivalent to VAT, others both, and others neither below a certain threshold. For example, for the United Kingdom, Packly guarantees zero duty thanks to a trade agreement, but local import VAT is still payable. The exact combination depends on the country: below you’ll find links to dedicated articles on the main destinations.

Who pays customs duties

Any customs charges (duties, local VAT, courier clearance fees) are not included in the Packly price and are requested from the recipient on delivery or during customs clearance. This is standard practice for any international shipment, not something specific to Packly.

Duty and customs tax: not the same thing

These two terms are often used together, but they refer to two different costs that can add up:

  • Duty is a tax on the type of goods imported. Its rate depends on the product and the country of origin.
  • Customs tax is generally the equivalent of VAT, applied to goods entering from abroad. It’s calculated on the value of the goods plus the duty already paid.

Depending on the destination country, an order may be subject to duty only, tax only, both, or neither.

How it varies depending on the destination country

The rules aren’t the same everywhere: each country sets its own rates, thresholds and any exemptions, so we can’t summarise them all here. For some destinations, we’ve prepared a dedicated page with the most up-to-date information:

For any other non-EU country, we recommend checking local customs rules before ordering, especially if it’s the first time you’re shipping to that destination.

Why we can’t tell you the exact amount

The calculation of duties and taxes depends on national customs regulations, which vary from country to country and can be updated at any time by local authorities. For this reason, Packly can’t tell you in advance how much you’ll pay: we recommend checking the customs conditions of the destination country before placing your order, or contacting the courier or local customs office for an estimate.

Commodity codes (HS Code)

The commodity code, also known as the HS Code (Harmonised System Code), is an international code that identifies a product category for shipments outside the EU. It’s used by customs authorities to determine any duties, taxes, checks and documents required in the destination country.

For shipments outside the EU, Packly products generally fall under the following commodity codes:

4819.10 – Cartons, boxes and containers made of corrugated cardboard 4819.20 – Folding cartons and boxes made of non-corrugated cardboard.