IMPORTANT CHANGES FOR CUSTOMERS IN THE USA

As you may have seen in the media, on 30 July an Executive Order was issued by the US Government suspending the exemption (duty-free de minimis) for low-value shipments to the United States. This means that items valued less than US$800 previously cleared without duties and taxes, from the 29 August 2025, will need to be paid by you prior to delivery for all imports, regardless of value.  
 
All shipments into the US from 29 August will have duties & taxes assessed based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs for the item and country of manufacture. For goods from New Zealand the current reciprocal tariff rate is 15%.

We are working on our sending solutions to the US to enable you to order under the new duty rules and will share further details and options over the coming days.  

For the time being we will continue to ship our product using DAP (delivered at Place) / DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid). With DAP / DDU shipping, Mountain Red take responsibility for shipping the product, while you, the customer pays any import or duties fees due prior to final delivery.

Mountain Red is not responsible for any duty or tariff payments that need to be made by you prior to release and delivery of your shipment. 

Common Questions

1. Why are duties and taxes now applied to my order?
The U.S. government has recently removed the de minimis exemption for goods shipped from New Zealand. This means that all imports from New Zealand are now subject to duties and taxes, regardless of the order size.

2. Who collects these charges?
Duties and taxes are collected directly by U.S. Customs and Border Protection when your order enters the United States.

3. When do I need to pay them?
In most cases, the shipping carrier (e.g., USPS, FedEx, DHL) will contact you once your parcel has arrived in the U.S. and advise the amount due. Payment must be made before delivery can be completed.

4. Does Mountain Red charge these fees?
No — Mountain Red does not add or collect duties and taxes. These are government-imposed charges payable by the purchaser at the time of import.

5. Will this delay my order?
Your order will still be shipped promptly from New Zealand. However, U.S. Customs may hold your parcel until duties and taxes are paid, so we recommend settling them as soon as you are notified to avoid delays.

6. Where can I get more information?
For the most accurate details on duty rates and procedures, please visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.