How To Avoid Import Fees On Amazon

Avoiding import fees on Amazon (especially for international purchases) isn’t always straightforward, since Amazon often collects duties and taxes upfront for cross-border orders. However, there are smart strategies to reduce, recover, or bypass import fees legally and responsibly.

📦 1. Buy from a Local Amazon Site

Prefer your country’s version of Amazon (e.g., Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk) to avoid cross-border shipping and import fees.
Use Amazon’s region selector (bottom of the homepage or in settings) to switch.

💸 2. Choose Sellers That Ship Locally

Even on Amazon.com, some sellers have domestic warehouses in your country.
Look for listings with:
- “Ships from and sold by Amazon [your country]”
- Short delivery times and no import duty estimate

🧾 3. Watch for Amazon’s Import Fees Deposit

Amazon may charge an “Import Fees Deposit” upfront, but:
- It’s an estimate—you could get a partial refund if actual import duties are lower.
- Check your order details a few weeks after delivery for potential refunds.

ℹ️ Go to: Your Orders > Order Details to see if any import fees were refunded.

💳 4. Group Items to Reduce Fees

Some countries have duty-free thresholds (e.g., $800 in the U.S., £135 in the UK).
Ordering below the threshold or consolidating items in one shipment may reduce overall fees.
- Be cautious though: large combined orders might trigger more scrutiny.

🚫 5. Avoid Products Prone to High Duties

Electronics, branded apparel, watches, and perfumes often attract high import taxes.
Books and printed materials are often exempt in many countries.

📍 6. Use Amazon Global Store Wisely

Amazon Global ships internationally and pre-calculates fees, but sometimes overestimates.
Pros:
- Transparent about costs.
- Fast, reliable delivery.
Cons:
- Less room to avoid duties.

🚚 7. Ship to a U.S. Address (for U.S. Site Buyers)

If you’re outside the U.S., consider:

Using a package forwarding service (e.g., Stackry, MyUS, Shipito).
Ship to a friend or relative in the U.S., then re-ship via cheaper methods.

⚠️ Forwarding may still incur customs duties when the package enters your country, but you control the method and declaration.

✈️ 8. Travel Carry-On Loophole (If You’re Visiting)

If you’re traveling to the U.S. or abroad, you can:
- Order items locally and bring them back as personal items.
- Stay under your country’s duty-free allowance (varies by country).

⚠️ This is only legal if used for personal, non-commercial use.

❌ What NOT to Do

Don’t ask sellers to under-declare value — it’s illegal and risky.
Don’t assume you won’t be charged just because the fee didn’t appear at checkout.
Don’t ignore your country’s customs laws—penalties can be steep.

✅ Summary

Strategy	Helps Avoid/Reduce Import Fees?
Buy from your local Amazon site	✅✅✅
Use domestic sellers	✅✅
Stay under duty-free thresholds	✅✅✅
Use a forwarding address	✅✅
Choose low-duty categories	✅✅
Track import fee deposit refunds	✅