Note: This guide covers USPS customs paperwork and import duties as published by USPS, the Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, checked November 1, 2026. For USPS international services and prices compared with FedEx, UPS and DHL, see our international shipping guide.

USPS International Shipping in 2026: Electronic Customs Forms, HS Codes, and New Requirements

Almost everything you mail from the U.S. to another country needs a customs form. The only exception is a First-Class Mail International envelope of documents weighing under 15.994 oz. Four rules matter most:

The form must be computer-generated. USPS says merchandise needs a customs form produced “by approved USPS software that electronically sends the customs form data to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.” If you bring a handwritten form, a retail associate has to enter it for you.
Every item needs a specific description. USPS says “electronics” isn’t enough; write “laptop computer” or “mobile phone.” Vague forms can be rejected, returned or destroyed by the receiving country.
You don’t have to look up HS codes. If you use USPS tools and give acceptable descriptions, USPS assigns the Harmonized System code for you.
Many destinations now charge duties on low-value packages. Since July 1, 2026, countries that follow European Union customs rules charge a flat €3 duty on packages they used to let in duty-free.

This guide walks through completing the form, what to write, export filing rules, duties at the destination and how to prepay them, and restricted items.

Which Form to Use and Where to Fill It Out

USPS gives you three routes:

Click-N-Ship on usps.com prints the international label and customs form together for First-Class Package International Service, Priority Mail International and Priority Mail Express International. You can then schedule a free Package Pickup or take the package to a Post Office.
Customs Form Online prints only the customs form. You bring it with the package to the Post Office to pay postage.
At the counter, if you didn’t complete a form online or you’re paying with stamps, fill out PS Form 2976-R. The clerk creates the label from it.

Customs forms are also required, in most cases, for mail to U.S. military and diplomatic addresses (APO/FPO/DPO) and U.S. embassies. Approved third-party postage software can also produce the electronic customs form when you buy an international label.

What USPS Requires on the Form

USPS’s customs forms page lists these requirements:

Sender and recipient details, with no abbreviations: complete first and last names, the full address (road name, number, postal code, city and state) and contact information (phone and email).
A detailed description of every item. Say what it is, what it’s made of and what it’s for.
A separate value for each item, plus the total value of the shipment.
The total gross weight of the package, with the unit (pounds or kilograms).

The description rules apply to “all outbound international packages, including small personal gifts, ecommerce orders, and military and diplomatic mail.” These examples come from USPS’s own list of acceptable descriptions:

Too vague	Acceptable (USPS examples)
Clothes	Men’s cotton shirts, girls’ denim vest, artificial fur coat
Electronics	Laptop computer, mobile phone, television
Tools	Screwdriver, power drill, rubber mallet
Art	Original oil painting, pencil sketch, bronze statue
Gifts	One scented candle, remote-controlled toy car, cashmere scarf
Medicine	Painkillers (ibuprofen), antiviral spray medication
Food	Fresh eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes, frozen broccoli

USPS tools may also ask for a UPC or brand name to pin down the right code. Write a value for each item that reflects what it’s actually worth. The value drives the duties the recipient’s country charges, and an understated value can lead to delays or penalties.

HS Codes, Explained

Harmonized System (HS) codes are numeric product classifications maintained by the World Customs Organization. USPS explains that the international system uses six-digit codes, that countries add digits for their own purposes, and that the U.S. uses 10-digit codes. A specific description matters because it determines the code. USPS’s example is that “tools” can’t be classified, but “power drill” points to HS code 8467.21.

For most senders, the practical rule is simple. If you use Click-N-Ship, Customs Form Online, the international retail price calculator or Global Shipping Software and write an acceptable description, USPS assigns the HS code during processing. If you use other shipping software that asks you for codes, USPS links to an HS code lookup from its customs page. U.S. exporters can also find Schedule B numbers, the export version of these codes, through the Census Bureau.

Export Filing: The $2,500 Rule

Some exports must be filed electronically with the U.S. government before you mail them. Under USPS’s International Mail Manual (IMM 524), you must file Electronic Export Information through the Automated Export System. You then present the resulting Internal Transaction Number when:

The value of any one type of goods is more than $2,500. Value is counted per Schedule B or Harmonized Tariff Schedule number, for everything mailed from the same sender to the same recipient on the same day.
The item needs a U.S. export license.
The shipment goes to certain sanctioned destinations, unless an exemption applies.

USPS gives worked examples. Two watches in different Schedule B categories, each worth $2,400, don’t require filing. Two identical watches worth $1,300 each ($2,600 in one category) do, even if they’re mailed in two separate packages on the same day.

Duties and Taxes at the Destination

The receiving country, not USPS, sets duties and taxes. Unless you prepay them, the recipient must pay before the package is released. Here are the rules for some major destinations:

European Union (since July 1, 2026). Countries that follow EU customs rules now charge import duties on business-to-consumer packages worth up to €150, and on gifts worth more than €45 and up to €150, which used to be exempt. USPS says the receiving country assesses “a flat, nonrefundable €3 duty” for each unique HS code in the package, plus any national taxes and fees. USPS recommends prepaying, and says some destinations may require it before you can buy postage.
Canada. CBSA says goods arriving by mail are duty- and tax-free only at CAD $20 and under. For courier shipments from the U.S. or Mexico, goods up to CAD $40 are duty- and tax-free, and goods from CAD $40 to $150 are duty-free but taxable. Separately, since Sept. 8, 2026, certain U.S.-origin goods face a Canadian surtax of 15%, 25% or 50% of the value for duty. CBSA says the surtax applies even to shipments that fall under the low-value exemptions.

Prepaying With USPS Delivered Duty Paid (DDP)

USPS’s DDP service lets you prepay estimated duties, taxes and fees. It’s built into the retail counter, Click-N-Ship, Global Shipping Software and certain USPS APIs. As of November 2026, it’s available for Priority Mail Express International, Priority Mail International and First-Class Package International Service packages to:

the United Kingdom and Canada
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France (and some French territories), Germany, Italy and Luxembourg
Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden

If you opt in, the duties, taxes and a third-party service fee are added to your postage. USPS says DDP includes a “Landed Cost Guarantee” that covers the difference if customs assesses more, subject to the provider’s terms. USPS also notes that DDP may not be available for some low-value personal shipments.

Restricted and Prohibited Items

Before you pack, check four USPS resources:

International Service Disruptions, to make sure USPS is currently accepting mail for your destination.
The Individual Country Listings in the International Mail Manual, which list each country’s prohibited and restricted items, weight limits and price groups.
International Shipping Restrictions, which covers items prohibited to every country. For example, mercury can’t be mailed internationally, even inside devices such as old thermometers. It also covers hazardous materials, including lithium batteries.
Publication 52 for hazardous, restricted and perishable items.

USPS’s domestic restrictions page also notes that perfume containing alcohol “may not be shipped internationally,” and that alcohol-based hand sanitizers are prohibited in international mail, including APO/FPO/DPO. Pack well for the longer journey. Our fragile items guide covers box-in-box packing, and our insurance comparison explains coverage limits.

Returns and Packages Coming Into the U.S.

Customs works both ways. U.S. Customs and Border Protection published an interim final rule on June 24, 2026, indefinitely suspending the de minimis exemption for merchandise arriving by international mail, effective July 24, 2026. Goods mailed into the U.S., including some customer returns, may now owe duties even at low values. If you sell abroad, decide in advance who pays for returns and how they’ll be declared.

Customs Checklist

Check service disruptions and the destination’s country listing.
Create the label and customs form in Click-N-Ship, Customs Form Online or approved shipping software.
Enter full sender and recipient names, addresses, phone numbers and emails, with no abbreviations.
Describe each item specifically, and give each item an accurate value.
Add the package’s gross weight.
For exports over $2,500 in one Schedule B category, file EEI and add the ITN.
Decide whether to prepay duties through DDP, especially for EU destinations.
Drop off the package or schedule a pickup. For general USPS procedures, see how to ship a package.