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If you sell on Mercari before leaving Japan, ship omiyage or gifts home to family, or run a small proxy-shopping side hustle for friends back in Taiwan or Latin America, 2026 quietly became a much more expensive year to send a package out of Japan. The customs-free “de minimis” thresholds that used to let small parcels slip through duty-free have been tightened or abolished in several of TIFE’s members’ biggest destination countries. None of this is Japan-side policy — it’s the receiving countries cracking down on the flood of low-value e-commerce parcels — but it changes the math on everything from selling your furniture on Mercari before a move to buying gifts for family overseas.
📋 Quick Navigation: United States · EU & UK · Canada, Australia & NZ · What this means for you · FAQ
🤝 Selling everything before you leave Japan?
TIFE’s community has moved hundreds of members in and out of Tokyo. Come to a meetup and ask what people actually shipped, sold, or left behind.
United States: the “zero-threshold” change that matters most
The US previously let parcels under $800 enter duty-free under the de minimis exemption. That exemption was suspended for all countries as of August 29, 2025, and a temporary flat-rate option for postal shipments ended February 28, 2026. The practical result for 2026: every parcel shipped from Japan to the US is now dutiable, regardless of value. A $30 gift and a $700 collectible are both subject to duty in principle — there’s no more free pass for small packages. If you’re mailing anything to the US from Japan this year, budget for duty on the full declared value.
EU and UK: new flat fees and shrinking thresholds
| Region | What changed in 2026 |
|---|---|
| European Union | From July 1, 2026 (Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382), parcels up to €150 now pay a flat €3 customs duty per item — the old €150 duty-free threshold is abolished. VAT still applies to all goods regardless of value, as it has since 2021. |
| United Kingdom | 20% VAT applies to all goods except gifts under £39. No customs duty below £135; tariff rates apply above that. VAT is charged on goods + postage + any duty, not just the item price. |
Canada, Australia & New Zealand
| Country | Threshold & fees |
|---|---|
| Canada | GST/HST applies above C$20 (most Japanese goods are duty-free under CPTPP if origin is shown). Canada Post charges a C$9.95 handling fee on dutiable mail. |
| Australia | Goods up to A$1,000 clear with nothing collected at the border. Above A$1,000: duty (0–5% for most goods) plus 10% GST and an import processing charge. |
| New Zealand | Goods up to NZ$1,000 have no duty or GST collected at the border (alcohol and tobacco excepted). Above that: duty plus 15% GST and a transaction fee. |
💰 Selling on Mercari before you move? Don’t get this wrong
If you’re shipping proceeds or unsold items to family overseas rather than selling locally, check the destination country’s threshold above first — US-bound parcels in particular now have zero duty-free allowance. For receiving payments from sales or freelance work internationally, Wise remains the cheapest way to move money between Japan and abroad without losing a chunk to bank conversion fees.
What this actually means for you
- Moving out of Japan? Selling furniture, electronics, and clothes locally on Mercari or Yahoo! Flea Market is now almost always cheaper than shipping them home, especially to the US.
- Sending gifts to family? Check the destination country’s current threshold before you ship — what was duty-free in 2024 may not be in 2026.
- Running a proxy-shopping side hustle? Declared values and destination country matter more than ever; factor duty into what you charge clients.
- Buying from Japan for someone overseas? Ask the seller (or use a proxy/forwarding service) to declare accurately — under-declaring to dodge duty is a customs violation, not a savings hack.
- Need something bought and shipped from Japan reliably? Peter’s own Tokyo Buy For You service handles this for a flat $10/item (or $15/item for flea-market app purchases), with accurate customs declarations included.
Quick reference
- United States: $800 de minimis suspended since Aug 29, 2025; postal flat-rate option ended Feb 28, 2026 — all parcels now dutiable
- European Union: Flat €3 customs duty on parcels up to €150, effective July 1, 2026; VAT applies to all values
- United Kingdom: No duty under £135; 20% VAT on nearly everything except gifts under £39
- Canada: GST/HST above C$20; most Japan-origin goods duty-free under CPTPP with proof of origin
- Australia: Nothing collected under A$1,000; duty + 10% GST above that
- New Zealand: Nothing collected under NZ$1,000; duty + 15% GST above that
- Related: Buy From Mercari Japan From Overseas 2026 | Best Things to Buy on Temu Japan | Moving to Japan — TIFE Community Hub
Japan import tax 2026 FAQ
- Did Japan raise export taxes? No — these are import/customs rules set by the receiving countries (US, EU, UK, Canada, Australia, NZ), not by Japan.
- Is there still a duty-free allowance for shipping to the US? No. The $800 de minimis exemption was suspended for all countries from August 29, 2025, and the temporary postal flat-rate option ended February 28, 2026.
- What changed in the EU in 2026? From July 1, 2026, parcels up to €150 pay a flat €3 customs duty per item; the previous €150 duty-free threshold no longer exists.
- Is it cheaper to sell things in Japan than ship them home? Usually yes, especially for US-bound shipments, since there’s no longer any duty-free allowance there.
- Does this affect buying from Amazon Japan or Mercari as a tourist? It affects anything shipped internationally to these countries, including personal purchases mailed home — not just commercial sellers.
- Where can I check the exact duty for my situation? Rules vary by product category and country; when in doubt, check your destination country’s customs authority directly or use a proxy-shipping service that handles declarations for you.
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