US Tariffs & the Book Trade: What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know
This article is for general information only and is not legal, tax or customs advice.
Update: July 2026
Ordinary books are expected to remain exempt
Section 122 has not yet been extended. The official proclamation still says the 10% surcharge runs only until 12:01 a.m. EDT on 24 July 2026, unless it is ended earlier or extended by an Act of Congress. Thus it is scheduled to disappear at the end of the month.
For ordinary books, the practical position is unchanged until that expiry: where a carrier, customs broker or entry system needs a Section 122 Chapter 99 code, CBP’s listed exemption for informational materials is 9903.03.11, covering “informational materials” including publications. Afterwards, there is no section to require an exemption from.
Unfortunately, the expiry of Section 122 does not mean a return to the pre-2025 low-value parcel system. The US has now issued rules indefinitely suspending the $800 de minimis exemption. There is also a possible replacement tariff track to on proposed Section 301 tariffs on products from 60 economies being considered, with proposed rates of 10% or 12.5%, but books are still being proposed as an exemption under these rules too.
Update: Feb 2026
Ordinary books are still generally exempt when classified correctly.
The biggest change since this article was first published is that the IEEPA tariff landscape described below has been overtaken by later court and executive action. On 20 February 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court held that IEEPA does not authorize the President to impose tariffs; the White House then ordered the IEEPA-based additional ad valorem duties to stop being collected. That means the older discussion below about the IEEPA/Berman Amendment route and code 9903.01.31 is now mostly historical context rather than the main current rule.
The replacement temporary 10% “Section 122” import surcharge, in effect from 24 February 2026 through 24 July 2026 for non-exempt goods, has its own exemption for informational materials, including books. CBP lists that Section 122 exemption as 9903.03.11: “Articles that are informational materials, including but not limited to publications…”
So, for a normal book parcel, to avoid the charges use the correct normal book classification, such as Chapter 49 / 4901 for printed books where appropriate, and claim the relevant informational-materials exception where the carrier or broker system requires a Chapter 99 code.
Royal Mail, Canada Post, and Australia Post all now show U.S. shipping workflows, but they now use PDDP/Zonos/electronic-data requirements rather than the old simple counter-post model.
The original article is below – as the situation continues to change, please check the updates for changes!
What's going on with shipping books to the US?
Shipping books into the US has suddenly become more complicated because new tariff enforcement and customs thresholds mean that even small, low-value parcels can now attract duties and paperwork. Ordinary printed books are exempt when correctly classified under HTSUS Chapter 49 (with the right Chapter 99 exception). Read on to learn more than you probably ever expected to know about tariffs, duties, Latin phrases and American legislation….
Tariffs vs Duties: A quick intro
- Tariff = the rule. It’s the rate set by law or policy. e.g. “Charge a 10% tariff on shipments coming from Australia”, or a specific amount per parcel during the transition period.
- Duty = the bill. It’s the money actually collected on your shipment using the tariff rules. e.g. “You owe the government $10 duty on this package worth $100 from Australia.”
Two common tariff types
- Ad valorem (Latin for “according to value”): a percentage of the item’s customs value. e.g. 10% of a $100 item = $10 duty.
- Specific (a flat amount: e.g. $80/$160/$200 per postal parcel for certain non-exempt goods during the transition period. The flat number is still a tariff – just expressed as a specific duty amount rather than a percentage of value.
Where do the US tariff rates come from?
- HTSUS* base rate: the product’s classification (e.g. printed books are usually duty-free at the base rate).
- Program add-ons or exceptions: e.g. Trump’s tariffs imposed on certain countries announced under emergency powers, or explicit exceptions like the informational-materials carve out for books (see more on this below).
- Other measures: other tarrifs might come from trade remedies, perference programs, etc – there are even specific ordering rules so you don’t get double-charged unless tariff “stacking” is allowed.
- Other charges that aren’t “duty” but you might see on your invoice: e.g. carrier brokerage/ advancement fees, Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF), Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF) for ocean shipments. These are not tariffs, but they affect the total cost to the buyer or seller depending on your shipping terms.
*HTSUS = Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. This is the big list that tells you the legal product code (the “HS/HTS code”) and the base duty rate for each product.
Who pays the tariffs?
Tariffs are assessed by the importing country (here, the US), and the “Importer of Record” is legally responsible for paying them to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
In most consumer shipments sent “DAP (Delivered at Place)” / “DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid),” then the US buyer has to pay the tariff on arrival. In “DDP (Delivered Duty Paid)” shipments, the seller (or their broker) pays the tariff at the border, normally adding the additional cost into their price for US customers. (So the US buyer is still paying, just a little more more indirectly.)
What changed on August 29, 2025?
- The $800 de minimis rule (Latin for “things too small to matter” or “trifles” – customs shorthand for duty‑free entry under a certain value) was suspended for all countries on July 30, 2025. That means lower value parcels (like subscription book boxes) that used to enter without duties now face duties.
- A six‑month transition period lets postal operators choose between collecting either (a) a normal ad‑valorem duty (i.e. a percentage of the customs value that is different for each country of origin, OR (b) a temporary specific postal duty per parcel of $80 (if IEEPA tariff rate is <16%) / $160 (if IEEPA tariff rate is 16 – 25%) / $200 (if IEEPA rate is >25%), depending on the origin country.
- This flat fee option applies only to postal shipments, not to couriers like DHL/FedEx/UPS. It is also set to expire on Feb 28, 2026, after which date everyone has to use the ad-valorem calculation method.
- Books and other “informational materials” remain exempt. These new tariffs have been imposed under “emergency” powers using the IEEPA Act. IEPPA contains a clause known as the Berman Amendment, or 50 U.S.C. § 1702(b)(3), that protects “informational materials” (including books) from the additional IEEPA‑based duties.
- The Customs and Border Patrol factsheet published on 08/18/2025 specifically notes that goods covered by § 1702(b) (including informational materials) are still eligible for duty‑free treatment.
- In practice, parcels containing books should claim an exception using a Chapter 99 code.
Bottom line for books: ordinary printed books classified in HTS Chapter 49 (e.g., 4901 “printed books,” 4903 “children’s picture, drawing or coloring books”) are still duty‑free from the IEEPA tariffs if claimed correctly with a Chapter 99 code. Misclassified “books” (e.g., puzzle books that are actually toys/puzzles) can lose that protection.
FAQ
Who’s shipping to the US by post today?
There’s been a huge kerfuffle since global postal operators have handled the new rules in different ways while they figure out how to collect these duties.
Some examples:
- Royal Mail (UK). Shipping was halted in August, but has resumed for business accounts using PDDP (“postal delivered duties paid”) – meaning they collect the duties upfront.
- Canada Post: Shipping continues, but duties must be prepaid before crossing the border.
- Australia Post: Domestic postal services temporarily suspended.
- La Poste (France): Suspended most goods parcels
Some postal services are allowing gifts under $100 to continue, so you’ll just need to keep checking your local post system before you ship until systems stabilise.
How are shops handling the tariffs?
Again, the landscape is changing rapidly on how retailers are handling shipping of goods.
Herre are a few examples:
- Blackwells says no change for customers (they likely handle duties via their logistics partners which means you’ll see higher prices when you log in from the US).
- Waterstones has restricted certain products from shipping to the US, including items printed/manufactured in China (earlier this year they temporarily paused US orders completely).
- AbeBooks still says shipping charges don’t include customs/taxes and that buyers are responsible for any cross-border import duties. Many individual sellers have started adding tariff notes inside their item descriptions, so it’s seller-specific – check the item description and store shipping policy before ordering.
- Amazon outside the US (like Amazon UK, or Amazon AU) uses Amazon Global Export to ship to the US and typically pre-collects an “Import Fees Deposit” at checkout. For ordinary printed books the IEEPA add-on tariffs shouldn’t apply so the deposit may be $0 for book-only orders. But if you have a mixed basket (book + non-book merch) you will likely be slugged with an import fee. Third-party sellers who don’t use Amazon Global may block US delivery or switch to more expensive courier delivery options.
- Gardners is one of the largest wholesalers and distributors of books & ebooks, music, and films in the world. They’ve suspended untracked postal shipments, and changed their US shipping policy to add a £2.65 surcharge to each parcel sent to the US. (This charge will flow on to retailers who use their international shipping services.)
If my post is suspended, can I use DHL/FedEx/UPS instead? How much extra would I pay?
Yes. Couriers are still operating. Two key differences:
- No $80–$200 postal flat fee. That flat duty is a temporary option only for postal shipments during the transition. Express shipments are assessed ad valorem according to the applicable country tariff(s) and the HTS classification.
- Carriers can pre‑collect duties in advance. Expect an additional admin fee (often a %, with a minimum amount). Exact fees vary by carrier and country.
Tip: If you’re a seller wanting to shield US buyers from surprise bills, ship Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) through your express carrier, so they invoice you for duties/fees and you can build this amount transparently into price/shipping before the customers buy. Most express carriers have dedicated workflows now for the US changes.
Can I use a ‘book code’ to get exempt from the new tariffs?
Yes – if it really is a book as “informational material.”
- First, classify the product correctly in Chapter 49 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (e.g., 4901 for printed books; 4903 for children’s picture/drawing/coloring books). The base duty for these is free.
- Then, claim the IEEPA informational‑materials exception on the shipment. The exception headings vary by program/country, but the key ones are those pointing back to 50 U.S.C. § 1702(b)(3).
Examples of what you might see on form entries include:- [HTSUS] 9903.01.31 — a general exception for informational materials under the reciprocal tariff program. [“Articles that are informational materials, including … publications … compact disks, CD‑ROMs, artworks, and news wire feeds.”]
- Country‑specific variants also exist (e.g. 9903.01.22 — code informational materials that are products of China/Hong Kong.). But if you don’t have a country variant for your country, use the general one.
The carrier’s brokerage system should be able to help you pick the right one.
Tip: On the customs entry, you need to list both: the IEEPA exception code 9903.01.31 in addition to the normal Chapter 49 HTS number that classifies the contents as a publication (e.g., 4901.99.00xx).
Watch out for edge cases: “book and gift” bundles (like book boxes with mugs or bookmarks), “activity kits,” and even puzzle books typically aren’t classified as books under Chapter 49 and lose the exemption. Mixed parcels also are charged the highest rate for the contents and you’ll miss out on the exemption.
Where can I check real time duty updates?
In addition to your national post service, I’ve found these sites useful:
-
White House Presidential Actions — for the current country tariff list (e.g., UK 10%, NZ 15%, etc.).
-
CBP “E‑commerce” & De‑Minimis Factsheet — official explanation of the de minimis suspension, the 6-month postal $80-$200 flat rate option, and the § 1702(b) exemptions that still apply.
-
USITC HTS (official tariff database) — for base duty and the Chapter 99 additions.
-
CBP CSMS bulletins — operational guidance (including the informational‑materials exception headings).
9 Comments
Geoff · 24 June 2026 at 8:06 pm
I read your article on US Tariffs for books, as my company Liberty Express Ltd based in the UK specialises in shipping books to the USA. It was informative for your followers as I know from talking to lots of book sellers big & small that shipping to the USA has been quite challenging recently, but it doesn’t need to be !
We have been very fortunate to ship some of the largest book sellers in the UK and they enjoy a 4.5 day average delivery time, we also shipped the Book Depository’s work for 11 years. The days of using Royal mail to ship your books are long gone as they struggle to keep up with the changes. We fly daily to New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, & Dallas to ensure your books get there fast & as cheaply as possible, with final mile with USPS. Get in touch if you need any advice on sending your books ! Thanks Geoff Smith owner http://www.Libertyexpressltd.com
Richard · 12 March 2026 at 6:03 pm
I’m just a bloke not very often but now and then sending a friend secondhand books purchased in charity [thrift] shops [stores] that cost a pound sterling to a friend in the USA and being charged relatively huge amounts to do this. What exacly should I say to the post office worker who announces I have to pay this huge amount “because of tariffs” when I say that is what I am doing in anser to the worker’s question?
Peter · 14 December 2025 at 11:15 pm
Could you please confirm that if sending a hardcover book to the USA from the UK, I write 4901.99.00 and 9903.01.31 on the customs declaration? (There is no specific request on the form I have for this information.)
Stephanie · 17 November 2025 at 1:29 pm
Hi Daisy,
Thank you for your web information. I am trying to decipher whether a small mystery story magazine is tariffed if I purchase from eBay from Canada?
Also, you are very patient with some people’s Replies. ;o)
andy · 25 October 2025 at 4:24 pm
wHAT about old books from 1600 – 1700 etc.?
Daisy · 28 October 2025 at 8:57 am
They should still be classifiable under the “printed book” and “informational material” codes, yes.
Cathy · 13 October 2025 at 11:44 pm
In Australia, Australia Post insists that the duty is for all books, irrespective. Do you have a response to that?
C · 18 September 2025 at 7:26 am
So what’s the answer? I googled asking if there are US tariffs on books as of Sept 2025. If you’re going to manipulate SEO with a ridiculously long Wikipedia-style post, at least give a TL;DR answer. Going back and voting this as a bad result. And you start with “not a lawyer”…. lol, you think someone’s going to sue you? Put the post important info above the fold.
Daisy · 18 September 2025 at 4:10 pm
Sorry there was too much detail for you. The tl;dr is that there are no tariffs on most books but you have to fill in the forms correctly. The detail in the article explains about some exceptions (e.g, puzzle books) and how you go about making sure you don’t have to pay (i.e. how to fill out the forms). Hope that helps!