During the summer of 2025, the EU and the US struck a deal that introduced tariffs of 15% on most EU exports to the US. In addition, the so-called “de minimis exemption”—which allowed low-value shipments to enter the US without customs duties or tariffs—was abolished. These tariffs are not limited to the EU; many other countries around the world are facing similar challenges.
For US customers and non-US-based hardware creators on Lectronz, this shift has caused significant frustration and disruption.
How the 2025 EU-US Tariffs Affected Hardware Creators
Throughout the summer, shipments to the US continued, but customers there suddenly faced extra import duties, often combined with processing fees that sometimes exceeded the product’s value. Many refused to pay these unexpected costs, resulting in returned packages. Although not at fault, our hardware creators received numerous angry messages from disappointed US customers.
As frustrations grew and product returns increased, most postal services decided to suspend commercial shipments to the US until they could establish a more efficient process to handle the new tariffs. The only remaining shipping options were courier services such as DHL, FedEx, or UPS, which are often prohibitively expensive for small-scale shipments.
As a result, many Lectronz sellers had to pause shipping to the US entirely.
In October, there was some good news: several postal services resumed shipments to the US, introducing Postal Delivered Duty Paid (PDDP) services. PDDP means that the sender pays import duties and taxes upfront on behalf of the recipient, so the customer incurs no additional charges upon delivery.
To support this change, Lectronz is updating its shipping options, allowing sellers to take advantage of these PDDP services and reconnect with our US community.
Changes for Sellers: Handling Tariffs Automatically
To make use of PDDP services, Lectronz now allows sellers to specify a “tariff percent” value for each shipping rate.
If a tariff percent is specified, a tariff amount will be added to the invoice at checkout. This amount is calculated by multiplying the percentage by the order total (excluding taxes and shipping).
Example: If a customer buys a dev board for €10.00 and the tariff percent is set to 15%, an additional €1.50 will appear on the invoice as a separate line item, distinct from the shipping cost.
For non-US sellers, we recommend the following approach for US shipments:
- Create a shipping rate specifically for the US.
- Specify a tariff percent value to cover all duties. This will typically be at least 15%, but please check with your postal service for the exact percentage.
- Include any fixed processing fees related to the PDDP service in the shipping cost.
Please note: if you select “Include shipping costs in tax/VAT calculations” in your store’s tax options, tax/VAT will only apply to the fixed shipping costs, not to the tariffs.
Changes for Customers: Transparent Tariff Display
Customers purchasing from sellers who have enabled tariff calculations for their country (e.g., the US) will see the tariff amount displayed during checkout as “Tariffs – DDP clearance.”
This line item will also appear on the order summary...
... and on the generated PDF invoice.
Note that not all sellers have enabled PDDP shipment! Customers should verify during checkout that the invoice includes tariffs to avoid additional fees during import.
In Conclusion
While the new tariffs and the removal of de minimis rules have created significant challenges for our community, the introduction of Postal Delivered Duty Paid (PDDP) services offers a practical path forward in countries that support it.
With Lectronz’s updated shipping options and dedicated tariff handling, sellers can once again reach US customers transparently, and buyers can shop confidently without unexpected fees.
We remain committed to supporting the DIY electronics community as we adapt to this new landscape and continue connecting makers and enthusiasts across borders.