Are retaliatory tariffs affecting my small business?

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Topic summary

A Shopify merchant experienced a package returned from Finland after customs held it for unpaid duties and taxes—fees not covered by the upfront shipping costs. The merchant was not notified in time to pay, resulting in the shipment being sent back to the US.

Potential Solution: DDP Shipping

  • Switch to Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) to calculate and collect duties/import taxes at checkout
  • Prevents surprise fees for customers and avoids customs delays
  • Requires Advanced Shopify or Shopify Plus plan, HS codes on products, and knowledge of international tax regulations

Recommendations:

  • Warn customers clearly about potential customs fees if not using DDP
  • Consider disabling international shipping if unable to manage DDP complexity
  • Hire an expert if needed to handle international tax compliance
  • Set up proper international shipping zones with appropriate rates

Other small businesses have encountered similar issues, suggesting this is not an isolated incident amid changing tariff environments.

Summarized with AI on October 28. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

I recently had a package shipped from the US to Finland, and it was held in Finland’s customs because they were waiting for me to pay an additional fee (on top of all the shipping costs I paid upfront through Shopify). I was not notified in time, and their order was shipped back to the US. I have never had this happen before, and feel extremely worried shipping internationally with tariffs changing so rapidly. I fear retaliatory tariffs for US exports are not taken into consideration with Shopify’s shipping plans. This may be a fluke, but I am curious if any other small businesses using Shopify have ran into similar issues recently. Please help!!

2

Hello, I am Adam B.

@IrisLamour To answer your question at the end. Yes, other small business have ran into this issue before. Im sorry to hear they sent the order back. I understand fees are frustrating. What i recommend for you is to switch to DDP shipping. This means Delivered Duty Paid, it essentially means that you enable international shipping rates and allows you to calculate and collect duties and import taxes upfront at the checkout, avoiding surprise fees for the customer or you later on. With DDP, you are responsible for paying duties and import taxes, which you can then include in the shipping rate. This provides a more predictable and potentially smoother experience for customers, according to Shopify.

DDP is very advanced and i do not recommend using it if you are not ready. Please become knowledgeable about this before making any actions. If you do not think you can handle this turn off international shipping. If you don’t want to do it and would like it HIRE AN EXPERT! To collect duties and import taxes at checkout, your store must meet certain requirements, such as being on an Advanced Shopify or Shopify Plus plan, using shipping services other than Shopify Shipping, and not using the Shopify Fulfillment Network. You also need to have Harmonized System (HS) codes applied to your products.

Warn Customers About The Fees!

  1. Set up international shipping rates:

  • Go to Settings > Shipping and delivery in your Shopify admin.

  • Create a new shipping zone for your international destinations.

  • Choose between flat rate shipping (a fixed cost) or carrier-rate shipping (real-time rates from integrated carriers).

  • For international markets, you can set shipping rates in local currencies.

    I hope this helps and finds you well. Have a great day!