Important Update on Custom Fees
New Customs Fees for EU and US Orders
We would like to inform our international customers about important changes to customs regulations and shipping costs affecting orders sent from Norway to the European Union and the United States.
These changes are introduced by customs authorities and shipping providers and are outside our control.
As a small independent business these new requirements create additional costs and administrative challenges. We are doing our best to keep international shipping affordable while complying with the new regulations.
Shopify has no easy solution to collect these extra costs which makes us regretfully having to contact you for an extra payment after you have made your order. Please allow extra time for this.
🇪🇺 European Union – New Customs Fees
The EU has introduced new customs processing requirements that may result in additional fees for shipments from businesses to consumers.
A customs processing fee of €2 per product line has been announced. The final amount and how it is collected (sometimes pre-payment will be required by the seller) might vary between countries.
These fees are separate from shipping costs and any applicable import duties or taxes.
For EU destinations where import charges are not prepaid customers may be required to pay applicable taxes and customs processing fees upon delivery.
These changes may result in higher overall costs and longer processing times for international orders.
🇩🇪 Germany – Prepaid Customs Fees
Applicable import duties and custom processing fees may need to be paid in advance by the sender For our small business in Norway this means additional costs and administrative work when preparing shipments.
These costs are separate from standard shipping charges and may affect the final shipping price for customers in Germany.
🇺🇸 United States – Prepaid Import Duties and Fees
New US customs regulations require applicable import duties and processing fees to be prepaid for certain international shipments.
This means customs charges must be calculated and paid before your order can be shipped.
Based on the previously identified tariff information an additional duty of approximately 12.5% may apply to Norwegian-made candles. This percentage is an estimate and is subject to confirmation of the current US tariff rules and any applicable exemptions. The final import duty is determined by US customs authorities.
Additional US Customs Processing Fees
Currently following charges may apply but please note these might change:
Customs clearance for duty-free shipments: NOK 8.50
Customs clearance for shipments subject to duties: NOK 23.50
Import duty handling fee: 2.5% of applicable import duties
These processing fees are separate from the actual import duty and normal shipping costs.
Example of Estimated US Customs Costs
For an order of candles valued at NOK 1,000:
Order value: NOK 1,000
Estimated import duty at 12.5%: NOK 125
Customs clearance fee: NOK 23.50
Import duty handling fee: NOK 3.13
Estimated additional customs costs: NOK 151.63
This example is for illustration only and assumes that the full order value is subject to the estimated 12.5% duty.
These additional expenses make shipping to the United States challenging for small businesses.
♡ What This Means for Our Customers
We always aim to offer fair prices and affordable international shipping.
We may need to adjust shipping prices to cover mandatory customs processing fees and prepaid import duties.
These are government and shipping-related charges rather than additional profit for our business.
Please understand that international customs regulations are constantly changing and additional processing time may sometimes be necessary.
We kindly ask for your patience and understanding as we navigate these changes.
♡ Thank You for Supporting Our Small Business
Running a small independent business comes with challenges and international shipping regulations are becoming increasingly complicated.
Every candle we create is made in Norway with care and attention to detail.
We are working hard to continue sharing our candles with customers around the world while keeping additional costs as low as possible.
Your support means so much to us and allows us to continue doing what we love.
We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding during these changes.
Official Customs Information
For further information about customs regulations and international shipping please visit the official sources below.
Posten Norway
US International Trade Commission – Harmonized Tariff Schedule
Norwegian Government