Updates

The US government is changing the tariffs again.
The new rules take effect for shipments arriving on or after July 24.
We and our customs partner Zonos will take care of all changes without your further action.



What is changing

Currently, all postal shipments to the US are charged a flat 10% tariff regardless of the item type. This flat tariff expires on July 24.

From July 24, each item will be charged its own standard duty rate based on its product classification and country of origin. This means different products will carry different duty costs. Product specific tariffs may also apply on top of the standard rate.

The US government has also proposed a new tariff of 10% to 12.5% depending on country of origin, replacing the current flat 10% tariff. Zonos will include this in the tariff calculations once the changes are live.

*Standard duty rates for popular item categories (Origin: JP)

HS Code - Category - Standard Duty Rate
3215.90 Water Based Pen Ink - 1.8%
3926.40 Acrylic Goods - 5.3%
4016.99 Rubber Mousepad - 2.5%
4202.21 Handbag (Leather) - 9% to 10%
4901.10 Printed Book - Free
4911.99 Paper Merchandise / Printed Matter - Free
8310.00 Can Badge / Pin Badge - Free
8523.49 CD / DVD / Video Game Disk - Free
9004.10 Sunglasses - 2%
9503.00 Toys - Free
9504.50 Game Console - Free
9506.99 Recreational Equipment Parts - 4%

Important: The new tariff is a proposed action and is not finalized yet. The final rates are not known at this time.
If the proposal passes as written, 12.5% will be added on top of the standard rates above for items of Japan origin.
Some tariff exempt categories like Printed books and paper merchandise are expected to remain duty free.
Whatever the final rules are, the amount shown on the checkout page is the amount you pay.


Duty prepayment limit raised

Japan Post shipments to the US must have tariffs prepaid if the declared value is under 800 USD. This limit is increasing to 2,500 USD.
From now on they are prepaid automatically when you pay for shipping, like any other parcel.


FAQ

Q: When will the tariff change take effect?
A: From July 21, the checkout page will show the updated tariff amounts. Zonos will apply the new rates a few days early because parcels quoted after July 21 will generally arrive in the US after July 24.

Q: If I pay for shipping before July 21 and the parcel arrives in the US after July 24, do I have to pay extra tariffs?
A: No. The tariff you see on the checkout page is the final amount. Any difference during the transition will be covered on our side.

Q: Are these new rates final?
A: No. The new tariff is still a proposed action and not decided. Whatever the outcome, the tariff shown on the checkout page is final for your parcel.

Sources

US Federal Register:
https://ustr.gov/about/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2026/june/ustr-makes-findings-and-proposes-action-60-section-301-investigations-relating-failures-take-action

Zonos tariff tracker:
https://zonos.com/docs/guides/us-tariff-changes

We are proud to announce our partnership with Zonos.
When paying for international shipping, you can now prepay your duties and taxes for 235+ countries.
It is guaranteed that you will not get a second bill for duties and taxes. We will cover these cost if it ever happens.
* The EU de minimis will be suspended from July 1, 2026. Please expect a second bill for duties if you are using IOSS (covers only the VAT portion).

Specifically, we support the following:
- Japan Post DDP: For US only, up to 800USD parcel value.
* Currently other countries are not supported for technical reasons, but we are working with Zonos to extend Japan Post DDP to other countries.
- IOSS: For any carrier. Prepay your VAT for parcels up to 150 EUR (excluding the shipping and servivce fees).
- Fedex DDP: For almost any country, and for any parcel value.
* Confirmed exceptions are Bulgaria and Greece.

This matters to you for multiple reasons.
1. You pay the real amount based on the actual duty/VAT rates.
2. Fast. DDP kills delay on customs.
3. Convenient and safe. There is no second bill to pay at your door.
4. Low handling fee: Zonos (and our) handling fee is much cheaper than what most couriers charge.

As of June 1, 2026, Japan Post is changing the shipping method [International ePacket Light] 'ePacket' to [International AIR Packet] 'AIR Packet'.

ePacket is a tracked airmail service for parcels under 2kg and up to 90cm (W+D+H). It was undoubtedly the cheapest way to ship internationally from Japan.
However, only 138 countries were supported under ePacket.

With the change to AIRPacket, the country restrictions are now gone. AIRPacket is available to all countries (except those where Japan Post has suspended service).

There are no changes to the service details other than the expansion of destination countries.

Lunarcat now supports DDP shipping to the United States via FedEx.

For DDP shipments, we charge:
+ 15% of the declared item value (regardless of item category)
+ 1.5% of the item value as a handling fee (minimum ¥500)

- Customers with their own FedEx account may choose whether or not to use the DDP option.
Some item categories (e.g. Printed Matter) are exempt from tariffs, so we strongly recommend you to create a FedEx account if your items fall in such categories.
- Customers without a FedEx account are required to use DDP.

What is DDP?
DDP (Delivery Duty Paid) is a shipping method where import duties and tariffs are paid in advance.
This means you will not need to worry about paying additional customs charges when the package arrives.
In an era where tariffs change frequently, DDP is a convenient way to avoid unexpected charges later on.

Lunarcat now supports IOSS for European customers.
You can now pay VAT during shipping checkout to reduce customs delays.

What is IOSS?
IOSS (Import One-Stop Shop) is a system that allows customers to pay VAT upfront.
This makes your life easier by helping parcels clear EU customs much faster and eliminates courier handling charges at delivery.
* Available for parcels with total item value up to €150 (excluding shipping costs).

The PayPal payment workflow now uses an Authorization > Capture model, instead of the previous instant Capture.
This change is intended to eliminate avoidable conversion-related losses for customers.

Previously, we collected funds upfront and issued refunds for unfulfilled or adjusted orders directly to customers’ PayPal accounts. This created losses for customers because PayPal applies a higher conversion rate on payment and a lower rate on refund conversion.

Under the new logic, customers authorize payment at checkout.
This means that you allow us to charge up to the authorized amount.
- After a successful purchase, we capture only the actual amount required.
- Otherwise the authorization is declined, which means that you pay nothing for unsuccessful orders.
- If additional charges are required (for example, added domestic shipping), we will request a separate authorization for the additional amount.

We are continuing to improve to provide a more customer-friendly environment.

Thank you!
Lunarcat Company

Japan Post has officially resumed international mail services to Canada.
From November 14, Canadian customers can now select Japan Post's shipping methods again.