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What Is Guaranteed DDP Shipping For Ecommerce? - FlavorCloud

Admin — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Cross-border ecommerce is growing fast. Global retail ecommerce is projected to reach close to nine trillion dollars by 2030, with cross-border commerce now accounting for over 20% of all global online sales. Brands that want a piece of that growth need to solve one problem before almost anything else: getting the landed cost right.

DDP Vs DDU? The Cross-Border Merchant's FAQ - FlavorCloud

Admin — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT

How you handle duties and taxes on international shipments isn’t a logistics detail — it’s one of the most consequential decisions you’ll make as a cross-border merchant. DDP and DDU determine who pays, who carries the risk, and ultimately whether your customer gets a seamless delivery or a surprise bill at the door. This FAQ covers everything you need to know before choosing.

How Cross-border Merchants Can Reduce 2026 Fuel Surcharge Costs - FlavorCloud

Cj Towle — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Summary: Jet fuel and diesel prices climbed sharply through early 2026, driving UPS, FedEx, DHL eCommerce, and USPS to reset fuel surcharge tables on the same lanes. Ground fuel surcharges now sit in the low-to-mid 20% range, up from about 7% in 2013, and international air surcharges run higher still.

July 1, 2026 EU De Minimis Changes: A Cross-Border Merchant's Checklist - FlavorCloud

Cj Towle — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT

On July 1, 2026, the EU will start charging a flat €3 customs duty per HS6 item on every IOSS shipment valued under €150. The EU de minimis duty exemption for low order value (LOV) shipments (≤ €150) will be removed on July 1, 2026, with the interim €3 flat duty applying until the 2028 EU Customs Reform fully regulates e-commerce cross-border shipments. A separate EU-wide handling fee of roughly €2 to €3 per package is targeted for November 1, 2026. France’s €2 per-item administrative tax is already live, and Romania’s 25 lei per-package fee took effect January 1, 2026. For most cross-border merchants, a $100 apparel order with three HS6 codes shipping into France will carry roughly 20% in added duties and fees by July 1. This guide walks through the seven steps merchants should take before the deadline.

What changes on July 1, 2026?

Three things change simultaneously:

A €3 interim customs duty applies per HS6 subheading, not per parcel. A shipment carrying three different HS codes owes €9.
The duty applies to every IOSS shipment under €150, removing the long-standing duty relief of the “de minimis” mechanism for LOV shipments (introduced by Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009 setting up a Community system of reliefs from customs duty).
The change is locked in by Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382, which received final approval on February 11, 2026.

The €3 duty is interim. On July 1, 2028, the €150 EU de minimis threshold ends entirely, and standard Common Customs Tariff rates apply to all imports regardless of value.

Who is affected?

Any merchant or platform selling distance goods from outside the EU into EU consumers is affected. That includes Shopify brands, marketplaces, DTC merchants, and B2B sellers shipping consumer parcels into the EU. The reform also shifts legal responsibility. Under the new framework, the seller or platform is treated as the importer of record, corresponding to the upcoming UCC reform which establishes “deemed importers” and is closely linked to the concept of “deemed suppliers” already established in VAT (IOSS). You owe the data, the duty, and the product-compliance liability. You must either be established in the EU or be represented by an EU-based entity holding trusted-trader status (AEO, with the Trust & Check tier expected to layer on top).

How much will the July 1 changes add to a typical EU order?

Take a $100 apparel order containing three items with three different HS6 codes shipping from the U.S. to a French consumer:

Date	Fees applied	Added cost
Before March 1, 2026	IOSS, no duty, just VAT	€0
March 1, 2026 onward	France €2 admin tax × 3 items + VAT	€6 (~7%)
July 1, 2026 onward	France €2 admin tax × 3 + EU €3 flat duty × 3 + VAT	€15 (~20%)
November 1, 2026 onward (expected)	EU handling fee replaces France tax (€2 to €3 × 3) + EU €3 flat duty × 3 + VAT	+€1 or so per item

Low-AOV merchants feel this the most. Parcels with multiple HS6 codes feel it disproportionately. HS classification accuracy now drives your duty bill directly, further emphasizing the need to get it right.

DOJ Moves To Narrow IEEPA Tariff Refunds: What Merchants Should Watch - FlavorCloud

Cj Towle — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT

The fight over IEEPA tariff refunds entered a new phase last week. On May 29, the Department of Justice filed a motion to amend the Court of International Trade’s April 17 refund order, taking direct aim at the part that matters most to merchants: who actually gets their money back.

Cross-Border Commerce Is Moving Beyond Point Solutions - FlavorCloud

Rathna Sharad — Wed, 27 May 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Cross-border ecommerce has evolved far beyond the challenge of international shipping. Winning global commerce now requires unified orchestration—and the brands and platforms building that capability first are pulling ahead.

EU Import Fees 2026: The Hidden, Costly Country-by-Country Patchwork - FlavorCloud

Cj Towle — Tue, 26 May 2026 07:00:00 GMT

EU import fees 2026 are not landing as a single rule book. The EU customs reform gets most of the headlines, and rightly so. A €3 interim duty, an end to the €150 de minimis, a new EU-wide handling fee, and the shift of importer liability onto sellers are all genuinely consequential. However, for any brand actually shipping into Europe, the EU-wide rules are only part of the cost stack.

The Ultimate 2026 International Holiday Calendar For US Shopify Merchants: June Through December - FlavorCloud

Cj Towle — Thu, 21 May 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Your 2026 international holiday calendar

The average global brand earns 16% of revenue internationally. Brands using FlavorCloud’s Commerce Intelligence Suite reach 40-60%, per the 2026 State of Cross Border report. The back half of 2026 is where most of that gap closes, and a lot of it sits outside the US calendar.

The EU Customs Reform: A Structural Reset - FlavorCloud

Rathna Sharad — Thu, 14 May 2026 07:00:00 GMT

The EU customs reform isn’t a single tariff change — it’s a structural reset of European cross-border commerce. As we move toward the July 2026 implementation, we’ve been fielding a lot of questions from merchants, 3PLs, logistics operators, and industry peers. Below I share my perspective on the six questions we hear most — covering the liability inversion that makes this reform structurally different from previous tariff changes, how the EU Customs Data Hub will reshape product data requirements, the three unknowns keeping compliance teams awake, what the reform means for 3PLs and intermediaries, why enforcement will fragment across member states, and why regional fulfillment is accelerating faster than anyone projected.

For a practical breakdown of the timelines, fee structures, and what FlavorCloud is doing to handle them seamlessly for merchants, read our blog “2026 EU Customs Reform: What cross-border merchants shipping into Europe need to know“.

2026 EU Customs Reform: What Cross-border Merchants Shipping Into Europe Need To Know - FlavorCloud

Cj Towle — Wed, 13 May 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Summary: