United States facilitates import of online orders

The United States will make it easier for foreign companies to import their online orders to the United States. The value limit for product import has been significantly raised thanks to a change in legislation.

Lowest requirements worldwide

Previously, import tax and overall taxes were added to all shipments exceeding 200 dollars in value (175 euro), but that limit has now been boosted to 800 dollars (700 euro), which means the United States now have the lowest requirements worldwide. In Belgium and the Netherlands, import tax and VAT have to be added to anything worth over 150 euro.

Shipping companies now hope other countries will follow suit, which would stimulate the worldwide shipping business. UPS, among other companies, expects a considerable increase in European shipments to the United States thanks to this changed legislation, according to Dutch newspaper FD. Shipments were on the rise anyway, owing to the dollar’s strong position compared to the euro, but this should kick things into a higher gear.

The increased limit means shipping companies will not face as much administrative hassle as before, which will also speed up shipments’ delivery times. Foreign web shops that ship to American customers will now be able to sell more and more expensive products.