Every parcel that crosses a border goes through customs, and the officers at the destination rely on what you write on the booking form. Getting the declaration right is the simplest way to avoid delays, and unexpected bills for the person receiving your parcel. Here is what to fill in, and how duty works for parcels sent from Hong Kong with Quantium Solutions.
Declare every item honestly
When you book, you list each item in the parcel with a description, quantity and value. Be specific. "Cotton T-shirt" tells customs what they are looking at; "clothes" or "gift" does not.
Enter the real value of each item in HKD. Customs use the declared value to decide whether duty is due and how much. Under-declaring may look like a way to save money, but it can mean delays, fines, or the parcel being returned or seized.
For some destinations, the booking form also shows each item's value, and the total declared value, in the destination's customs currency. This lets you see the parcel the way customs will see it.
What an HS code is
An HS code is an international product code that tells customs what kind of goods an item is. Our form accepts codes of 6 to 10 digits. If you do not know the code, click the magnifier icon next to the field to look it up.
Parcels going to the United States need the full 10-digit US code. The lookup offers it, so you do not have to find it elsewhere.
Duty we collect at booking
For some destinations we collect duty when you book, so the receiver does not have to pay it on arrival. Whenever we do, it is included in the price you see after pressing "Get prices", before you pay.
United States
Duty is 12.5% of the declared value. It is worked out in US dollars and charged in HKD at booking, and you see it before you pay. If the declared value is USD 800 or less, there is no duty.
European Union
If you have a valid IOSS number, usually provided by the online seller, enter it at booking. We then collect the EU duty at booking: EUR 3.00 for each different HS code in the parcel, converted to HKD. This is known as DDP, or delivered duty paid.
Without an IOSS number, nothing is collected by us, and customs bill the receiver when the parcel arrives. This is known as DDU, or delivered duty unpaid.
New Zealand
When the declared value is below NZD 1,000, we collect NZD 2.21 per shipment, converted to HKD at booking.
Other destinations
Any duty we collect is shown in the price before you pay.
When the receiver may have to pay
Where duty or taxes were not collected at booking, the receiver may have to pay them on arrival. It is worth telling the person you are sending to, so the bill does not come as a surprise.
If you are unsure how to describe an item or which code to use, contact us before booking. A few minutes spent on the declaration can save a lot of waiting later.