Do you ship with DHL to the US or Puerto Rico? Starting July 24, 2026, the US customs rules change for you. Without preparation, you risk incorrect customs classifications, unnecessarily high duties, and delays in customs clearance. This guide helps you prepare your product data in time.
Important
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is tightening the rules for postal shipments starting July 24, 2026, and DHL is implementing these changes on that date. Prepare your product data beforehand so shipments to the US and Puerto Rico don’t run into delays or extra costs.
Note
This guide reflects the status as of July 14, 2026. Customs and pricing details are subject to change; DHL, your customs broker, or a customs agency can give you binding information.
Starting July 24, 2026, the following new rules apply to shipments to the US and Puerto Rico:
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pDDP becomes mandatory up to a goods value of $2,500: The Postal Delivered Duty Paid (pDDP) service now applies to all shipments to the US and Puerto Rico with a goods value of up to $2,500. Previously, the threshold was $800. Above $2,500, pDDP isn’t available, and the recipient pays the duties and taxes themselves.
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10-digit HTSUS code per line item: US Customs requires a 10-digit, US-specific customs tariff number, the HTSUS code, for every line item in your shipment. The 6-digit HS codes that were previously sufficient are no longer enough. If the 10-digit code is missing, the customs broker determines it from your goods description and the 6-digit code, but you then carry the risk of an incorrect and possibly more expensive classification.
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Clear goods description per line item: Every line item in your shipment needs an accurate description that customs can understand. Terms like "Merchandise" or "Textiles" are no longer sufficient.
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Real duty rates instead of a flat rate: Instead of the previous flat customs rate of 10% of the goods value, the customs broker now calculates product-specific commercial duty rates according to US Customs requirements. Depending on the product, this can be cheaper or more expensive than before (see the example calculation in What it costs).
Without updating your product data, shipments to the US may run into a less favorable customs classification, higher costs, or error messages from DHL starting July 24, 2026. With a maintained HTSUS code and a clean goods description, you’re on the safe side.
Xentral automatically applies the new $2,500 pDDP value threshold starting July 24, 2026, so you don’t need to configure anything for that. You also don’t need to touch your existing customs tariff numbers: as long as you don’t make any changes, Xentral continues to transmit your products' stored customs tariff number (HS code) to DHL. In addition, for shipments to the US and Puerto Rico, you can now provide the HTSUS code through a newly defined product custom field.
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You create a product custom field named HTSUS-Code (capitalization doesn’t matter).
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For DHL shipments to the US and Puerto Rico, Xentral uses this custom field with priority over the product’s customs tariff number.
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If the custom field is empty for a product, the product’s customs tariff number applies as before.
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All other destination countries and all other uses, such as Intrastat, pro-forma invoices, or other shipping service providers, continue to use the customs tariff number. Your Intrastat report remains unaffected.
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Navigate to Settings > Master data > Custom fields and go to the Free fields area.
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For an available custom field, for example custom field 1, enter HTSUS-Code as the exact label and select Single-lined as the type.
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Click on Save.
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Optional: Activate the option Show free fields in the product, so the field is also displayed directly in the product edit screen. You can also maintain it via the Free fields tab in the product without this setting.
Important
Make a note of which custom field number you used, for example custom field 1. You’ll need this number for the import and for the API.
You have three ways to fill in the free field, which we explain in more detail in the following sections.
This method is suitable if you only need to update a few products, since you make the changes for each product individually in the product master data.
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Open the Sell > Products menu.
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Open the product you want by clicking on the pencil icon on the right.
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Open the Free fields tab.
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Enter the 10-digit code in the HTSUS-Code field, for example 6109.10.00.12.
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Click on Save.
If you have more than a handful of products for US shipping, the CSV import is the fastest way to meet the July 24, 2026 deadline.
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Create a CSV file with the two columns Product number and HTSUS-Code (semicolon delimiter, first row as header).
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Navigate to Settings > Administration > Data exchange > Import / Export Center > Master data import.
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Click on New entry.
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Select Article as the target, set CSV data from line to 2, and enter the column mapping under CSV fields, one line per column:
1:nummer; 2:freifeld1;Replace
freifeld1with the number of your HTSUS custom field from the previous step, for examplefreifeld3. Click on Save. -
Click on Start import: Upload CSV file, upload your CSV file, and check in the preview that Update (product update) is displayed for every row.
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Click on Import and then spot-check 2 to 3 products in the Custom fields tab.
Tip
Alternatively, the new CSV importer is available under Settings > Administration > Data exchange > CSV Importer with the Custom fields data type. There, you map the columns for product number, custom field name (HTSUS-Code in each case), and custom field value with a click. You can find the step-by-step instructions in the article CSV importer: Importing custom fields.
Important
With both import methods, empty cells overwrite existing values. So only include the columns and products in the CSV file that you actually want to update.
If you maintain your product data in a third-party system, you can also set the custom field via the product update of the Xentral API, in the product’s freeFields array. The field is addressed by its number (id), not by its name. Example for custom field 1 from the previous step:
{
"freeFields": [
{ "id": "1", "value": "6109.10.00.12" }
]
}You can find the details on the product endpoint in our API documentation.
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10 digits, with or without periods:
6109100012works just as well as the dotted US notation6109.10.00.12. -
When transmitting to DHL, Xentral automatically removes all non-digit characters; a maximum of 11 digits is accepted.
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Enter exactly one code per product, without lists or comments in the field.
The 10-digit HTSUS code is the US version of your customs tariff number. The first 6 digits are identical to your international HS code; digits 7 through 10 are US-specific. You have three ways to research it:
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Official US database (free): At hts.usitc.gov, you search for the matching 10-digit subheading using your existing 6-digit HS code. You can also see the applicable duty rate there directly.
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Automatic classification with Zonos Classify: The provider Zonos classifies products using AI and provides HS and HTSUS codes.
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Customs agency or customs service provider: For complex product ranges, such as textiles, food, or electronics with special rules, professional classification is worthwhile. An incorrect classification can lead to additional charges and delays.
Tip
Identify your top sellers to the US in advance. Products that you never ship to the US or Puerto Rico anyway don’t need an HTSUS code.
US Customs requires a clear and accurate goods description for every line item. So check the product names or customs goods descriptions of your US products:
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Specific instead of generic: "Men’s T-shirt, 100% cotton" instead of "Textile goods" or just a product number.
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English helps: US Customs reads English. "Cotton t-shirt, men’s" clears customs faster than a description written only in German.
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State the material and intended use if they’re relevant for the classification.
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Internal abbreviations, marketing names, and acronyms don’t belong in the goods description.
If the description doesn’t match the HTSUS code, you risk queries, delays, or returns.
The following details reflect the status as of July 14, 2026. You can get binding information about your specific costs from DHL, your customs broker, or your customs agency.
For the pDDP service, DHL charges a service fee of €2.00 per shipment, regardless of the destination country. DHL passes on the advanced import duties to you, plus the fees of the US customs handler. Billing is in euros at the exchange rate on the invoice date.
Previously, pDDP shipments were subject to a flat customs rate of 10% of the goods value. Starting July 24, 2026, the customs broker instead calculates the commercial duty rate that corresponds to your HTSUS code. DHL doesn’t calculate the expected duties for you in advance; you can find the duty rate for your HTSUS-Code at hts.usitc.gov.
The following example calculation shows the effect for cotton T-shirts worth $200:
Previously (10% flat rate) |
From July 24, 2026 (commercial rate) |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Duty rate |
10% flat |
16.5% (HTSUS 6109.10.00, standard duty rate per hts.usitc.gov) |
|
Duty on $200 goods value |
$20.00 |
$33.00 |
|
pDDP service fee |
€2.00 |
€2.00 |
For other product groups, it can just as easily become cheaper: many products have standard duty rates below 10%, and some are duty-free. Run the numbers once for your top sellers.
Caution
Country-specific additional US duties can be added on top of the standard duty rate. The customs broker performs the final calculation according to US Customs requirements.
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Zonos as a landed cost provider: Zonos calculates the full import costs (duties, taxes, fees) at checkout, automatically classifies your products, and handles DDP. You can pass these costs on to your US customers as a fee at checkout. Zonos is worthwhile especially if you sell to the US via B2C regularly and want to show your customers a transparent final price without customs surprises. For occasional individual shipments, DHL pDDP at €2.00 per shipment is the leaner solution.
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Shipments over $2,500 as DDU: Above $2,500, pDDP isn’t available. The shipment then goes out without customs clearance (Delivered Duty Unpaid), and the recipient pays the duties and taxes themselves upon delivery. Communicate this clearly in advance, or you risk refused deliveries and costly returns.
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Formal customs clearance: For high-value or regular B2B shipments, you can have a formal import declaration handled through your own US customs broker. This means more effort and broker fees, but you have full control. Worthwhile from regular shipments above $2,500.
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Other shipping service providers: FedEx and UPS clear express shipments through their own brokers and also offer DDP billing. The terms depend on your contract; you can get a quote from your contact person at the respective provider. There too, a 10-digit HTSUS code and a clean goods description speed up customs clearance.
Then Xentral transmits the product’s customs tariff number to DHL as before. In that case, the customs broker determines the 10-digit code from your goods description and the first 6 digits, so your shipment still goes through. However, you then carry the risk of an incorrect and possibly more expensive classification. So maintain an HTSUS code in the custom field for your US products by July 24, 2026.
No. Intrastat, pro-forma invoices, and all other shipping service providers continue to use your product’s customs tariff number, meaning the 8-digit EU Combined Nomenclature. The HTSUS custom field only applies to DHL shipments to the US and Puerto Rico.
Yes, name it exactly HTSUS-Code. That’s the label Xentral recognizes. Capitalization doesn’t matter.
10 digits, with or without periods: 6109.10.00.12 and 6109100012 both work. Xentral automatically removes non-digit characters.
pDDP isn’t available for those. The shipment goes out as DDU, and the recipient pays the duties and taxes themselves. Alternatively, you handle formal customs clearance through a customs broker, see the Alternatives to DHL pDDP section.
No, only the products that you ship to the US or Puerto Rico via DHL. Start with your US top sellers.
No. DHL doesn’t offer customs advice or advance calculations. You can find the duty rate for your HTSUS code at hts.usitc.gov; the customs broker performs the binding calculation upon import.
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Connecting DHL: Basic setup of the DHL shipping method in Xentral
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Customs tariff number (HS code - Harmonized System Code): Basics of the customs tariff number in product master data
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Custom fields for products, addresses, projects, and documents: Setting up and using custom fields in Xentral
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CSV importer: Importing custom fields: Step-by-step instructions for importing custom fields via the CSV importer