United States
The default recommendation for parcels above 3 kg. Below that, express is often within a few dollars and saves a week.
Four destinations, four different bills
Duty treatment is the first thing that changes with the destination, the transit tail is the second, and base freight is the third. Notably, none of the twenty-five catalogues we surveyed organises its content this way — they group by platform instead — which is why the four pages below exist.
See what is listed · Declared value tool · Surcharge months
| Destination | Lane | Median transit | Slowest 10% | Threshold behaviour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | US — Economy | 20 days | 40 days | The US publishes a de minimis threshold below which no duty is collected on most consumer goods; entries under roughly $200 in our sample showed no charge. |
| United Kingdom | UK — Standard | 19 days | 40 days | The UK collects VAT on most imports above a low consignment threshold, and duty above a higher one. |
| European Union | EU — Standard | 23 days | 47 days | Import VAT applies across the EU above a common low threshold, and duty rates vary by destination country and product type. |
| Canada | US — Economy | 20 days | 40 days | The US publishes a de minimis threshold below which no duty is collected on most consumer goods; entries under roughly $200 in our sample showed no charge. |
Canada shares the US economy lane for freight and transit; the customs treatment differs and is stated on its own page.
United Kingdom
The cheapest of the four lanes per kilogram, and the one where declaration accuracy matters most.
European Union
The lane with the widest spread. Budget the upper bound, not the median, if the destination country is fixed and unfamiliar.
Canada
The default recommendation for parcels above 3 kg. Below that, express is often within a few dollars and saves a week. Freight and transit are shared with the US lane.
Twelve destinations ranked by customs friction · What changes when the address changes