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On 24th February 2016, President Obama signed the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act 2015, agreeing to increase the US de minimis value from $200 to $800. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed on 10th March 2016 that the increase has come into force and, therefore, allowing people to ship goods into the US free of taxes and duties up to the value of $800.

This is a fantastic step forward and is the first time the de minimis value has been changed in over 20 years. This is not only good news for US residents but also great for retailers outside of the US participating in cross-border trade.

US shoppers are happy spending their money abroad, with the UK being their favoured destination at 49%*. As we continue to see an increase in cross-border purchases, and consumers carrying out research prior to purchasing, the emphasis on a retailer’s international delivery and return service is paramount.

Do you ship goods to the US? Or, do you need assistance in implementing a cross-border returns policy?

UKP offers a fully managed outbound shipping and returns service for eCommerce parcels to and from the US. As one of very few Approved Direct Entry Wholesalers accredited by the United States Postal Service (USPS), we deliver via a tracked service within five to seven working days. Taking care of EU export declarations, manages the clearance and eliminates the stress associated with cross-border eCommerce.

The UKP Returns Service provides US customers with a US return address, ensuring they only pay domestic rates for their returns. Alternatively, if you want to offer your customers free returns, we can provide that service too. The Returns portal captures return information via a bespoke online form, which then generates a return shipping label. The returns portal simplifies the process and improves the customer experience, reducing end-to-end shipping costs as well as providing clarity for online retailers. It enables a retailer to gauge how many returns they are expecting, optimise inventory and also assists in highlighting defects and faulty goods by SKU. 

Source: *IMRG US Passport 2016 Cross Border Trading Report