Everything you need to know — transit times, customs rules, import duties, carrier options and shipping tips for United States.
| Carrier | Economy | Express |
|---|---|---|
| DHL Express Worldwide | — | 2–3 days |
| FedEx International Priority | — | 2–3 days |
| UPS Express Saver | — | 2–3 days |
| FedEx International Economy | 5–7 days | — |
| UPS Worldwide Expedited | 5–7 days | — |
Business days. Customs clearance time not included — allow 1–5 extra days depending on the goods.
Every shipment to United States must include the correct documentation or it will be held at customs.
Required for all commercial shipments to the USA. Must include: exporter/importer details, complete description of goods, HS code (Schedule B for USA), country of origin, declared value in USD, quantity and unit of measurement.
The USA uses the Harmonised Tariff Schedule (HTS), a US-specific extension of the international HS system. You need the US HTS code (10 digits) to calculate duties. Find your code at the US Census Bureau Schedule B Search tool.
All goods must declare their country of origin. 'Made in Portugal' or 'Made in EU' must be accurate. For goods with complex supply chains, the country of origin is where the last substantial transformation occurred.
All food, beverages and dietary supplements entering the USA require FDA Prior Notice — a pre-arrival notification to the FDA. File via FDA's Prior Notice System Interface (PNSI) before shipment departure.
Shipments over $800 require a US Importer of Record — typically the US buyer/recipient with a US EIN or SSN. For B2C shipments, the recipient acts as IOR. For B2B shipments, the buyer's company must have a US import bond for regular commercial imports.
Import duties and taxes apply to all shipments to United States. Duty-free de minimis threshold: $800 (Section 321). VAT/local tax: No federal VAT (sales tax varies by state).
| Product Category | Typical Duty Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shipments under $800 (Section 321) | 0% duty, no tax | The USA has one of the world's highest de minimis thresholds. Personal and commercial shipments under $800 per day per recipient enter duty-free. |
| Clothing and textiles | 5–32% | One of the highest US duty categories — varies significantly by material and HS code |
| Electronics and computers | 0–3.5% | Most electronics: 0% under Information Technology Agreement |
| Footwear | 8–37.5% | Very high US duties on footwear — significant cost for Portuguese shoe exporters |
| Wine | 0% (most EU wines) | Most European wines enter the USA at 0% duty under various trade agreements |
| Food and beverages | 0–20%+ | Highly variable; FDA compliance is often more challenging than the duty rate itself |
Duty rates are indicative. Actual rates depend on the HS code classification of your goods. Consult a customs broker for high-value or complex shipments.
The following items have import restrictions or are prohibited in United States. Check carrier guidelines before shipping.
The USA Section 321 de minimis of $800 is one of the highest in the world — shipments under $800 enter duty-free with minimal paperwork. This is a major advantage for B2C e-commerce.
Always include the correct US HTS code. Incorrect classification is the most common cause of US customs delays and can result in reclassification at a higher duty rate.
For food, supplements and cosmetics: FDA compliance is often more complex than customs duties. FDA Prior Notice is required for all food shipments — file via the FDA PNSI at least a few hours before departure.
FedEx International Priority often has a slight transit time advantage for East Coast USA cities due to the FedEx Memphis hub. DHL Express is stronger for West Coast and international connections.
US recipients receiving commercial shipments over $2,500 may need a formal entry through a US customs broker — your carrier's customs team can handle this for express shipments, but pre-agree with the recipient.
No federal VAT in the USA — but state sales taxes vary from 0% to 10.25%. This is collected domestically and is the seller/platform's responsibility for US sales tax nexus.
All commercial shipments to the USA require: a commercial invoice (with full description, HS code, value in USD, country of origin), and the correct US HTS (Harmonised Tariff Schedule) code. Food, supplements and cosmetics additionally require FDA Prior Notice. Shipments over $800 require a formal entry — your express carrier handles this automatically for express shipments.
Express services (DHL Express, FedEx International Priority, UPS Express Saver) take 2–3 days for the flight, then 1–3 days for US customs clearance. Total elapsed time: 3–5 days for well-documented shipments. Economy services (FedEx International Economy, UPS Worldwide Expedited) take 5–7 days flight time, then customs clearance.
The USA Section 321 de minimis threshold is $800 per recipient per day. Shipments with a declared value of $800 or less per day to the same recipient enter the USA duty-free and with minimal paperwork — one of the most generous thresholds in the world. Shipments over $800 are subject to US HTS duty rates, which range from 0% to 37.5% depending on the product.
Both are excellent for Portugal–USA express. FedEx International Priority has a slight advantage for East Coast USA cities (New York, Miami, Boston) due to FedEx's Memphis hub. DHL Express performs similarly and is often slightly stronger for international connecting routes. Compare live rates and current transit times on Cargosender — the fastest option varies by week depending on flight schedules.
Yes, but with significant compliance requirements. Wine exports from Portugal require: EU export licence for wine over certain quantities, US TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) import permit for the US importer, and compliance with US state-by-state alcohol import laws (some states prohibit direct-to-consumer wine imports). Most Portuguese wine exporters use specialist freight forwarders rather than standard parcel carriers for commercial wine shipments.
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