What customs actually charges
Three separate charges can hit an incoming package: import duty (a percentage of declared value), VAT or sales tax (a percentage on top of duty + shipping), and a carrier handling fee (flat charge added by FedEx, DHL or your national postal service).
All three are calculated off the declared value on the customs label. Sellers and proxies sometimes under-declare “as a gift” — this is technically fraud, frequently results in seizure, and leaves you with no insurance recourse if the package is lost. Never ship anything valuable with false declaration.
United States
Duty threshold (de minimis): $800 per shipment. Under that, no duty. This is the most buyer-friendly threshold in the developed world.
Over $800, duty varies by HTS code but for collectibles is typically 0% (trading cards are classified as printed matter). Handling fees are usually zero for USPS, $15–30 for FedEx or DHL.
The practical rule: stay under $800 per shipment and you owe nothing. Over that, split into two shipments.
United Kingdom
Threshold: £135 above which VAT applies. Duty is separate and kicks in above £135 for items with a duty rate above zero. Pokemon cards are classified under the printed-matter category and carry a 0% duty rate — so you pay VAT but not duty.
VAT rate is 20% on declared value plus shipping. A £300 shipment costs you £60 in VAT. Plus a Royal Mail handling fee of £8, or a courier handling fee of £12–25.
Plan for 22% landed uplift on everything over £135.
European Union
Since July 2021: VAT applies from €1 — no de minimis. Duty applies from €150.
Most EU member states charge 19–25% VAT. Duty on trading cards is 0% so the main charge is VAT. Plus a courier handling fee of €12–25 per parcel.
Effective uplift on everything from Japan to the EU is 22–28%. Build that into your ROI math before buying, not after.
Canada
Threshold: CAD $20 (essentially zero) for duty and tax. GST and provincial tax apply from CAD $20 up; rates vary by province (5–15%).
Duty on cards: 0%. Practical rate for Canadians: 13–15% on declared value plus shipping, plus Canada Post or courier handling fees of CAD $10–30.
Australia
Threshold: AUD $1,000 for duty. Below that, no duty. GST (10%) applies to all imports above AUD $1,000.
Under AUD $1,000, you pay nothing. Over, you pay 10% GST plus courier handling. Australia has one of the most favourable thresholds in the English-speaking world.
How to plan around customs
Keep shipments under your country’s threshold where possible. For the US that is effectively unlimited below $800. For the UK and EU, target £100 per shipment. For Canada, keep it small. For Australia, up to AUD $1,000.
Split high-value buys across months or proxies. The fees for three smaller shipments are still much lower than the combined VAT+duty on one large one.
Do not ask proxies to undervalue shipments. ZenMarket will refuse; Buyee will flag your account; customs enforcement is more active than it used to be, especially in the UK and EU. The penalty for a seized shipment is the full loss of the goods plus sometimes a fine. Just pay the VAT.
This article is part of the Japanese Arbitrage section of PokemonCardProfit. Use our free Grading ROI and Flip Profit calculators to run the numbers on any card before you buy.