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Import duty from South Korea to the USA

Verified 2 official sources

Short answer

The question people actually have about Korean goods is whether KORUS makes them duty-free. The short answer is that the agreement exists but the preference has to be claimed with documentation — and a retail parcel shipped straight to your door usually arrives without it.

Working it out

  1. Decide whether preference is realistically available

    KORUS preference requires that the goods satisfy the agreement's rules of origin and that the claim is supported by a valid certification. A commercial importer arranges this. A consumer ordering from a Korean retail site typically cannot, because no certification accompanies the parcel.

  2. If no preference, use the general rate

    The Column 1 rate for your subheading. For much of the cosmetics and skincare category this is already low, which is why the fees often exceed the duty on small orders.

  3. If preference applies, read the Special column

    The preferential rate is the entry for KR on that specific subheading — not a blanket zero across the category.

  4. Check product-scoped actions anyway

    Section 232 metals actions apply by article regardless of origin. Korean origin does not exempt a steel or aluminium article, and the absence of a Korea-specific measure is not an exemption.

  5. Add the fees

    Processing fee by entry type, Harbor Maintenance Fee only for ocean cargo. Both are computable before you know your rate.

What you can compute right now

Federal processing fees do not depend on your classification. On an informal entry — most personal shipments — the fee is a fixed $2.69, $8.06 or $12.09. On a formal entry it is 0.3464% of the goods value, minimum $33.58, maximum $651.50. The Harbor Maintenance Fee is 0.125% but applies only to ocean vessel cargo, so it is zero for air and mail.

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What people get wrong

  • Assuming KORUS is automatic. It is a claim, not a default. Without certification the general rate applies.
  • Assuming the absence of a Korea-specific tariff action means nothing else can apply. Product-scoped programs are evaluated independently.
  • Being surprised by a bill on a small K-beauty order. De minimis ended for every country on August 29, 2025; value no longer decides whether a shipment is assessed.
  • Using a forwarder without checking who files the entry — it changes which fee schedule you face.

Common questions

Sources

  1. USITCHarmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States
    retrieved
    2026-08-09

    Primary source of truth for Column 1 general rates, special rates, and Chapter 99 subheadings.

  2. USTRNotice of Actions in Section 301 Investigations of Acts, Policies, and Practices of Various Economies
    FR
    91 FR 47318
    effective
    2026-07-24
    retrieved
    2026-08-09

    Two-tier 10% / 12.5% additional duties on products of roughly 60 economies, effective 2026-07-24. Implemented in HTS Chapter 99 subchapter III at heading 9903.02, which carries 91 lines covering per-economy tiers, in-transit exceptions and carve-outs. No statutory expiration.

Related

Which programs apply to South Korea

Reference

Korean Skincare

Classification guide

Cosmetics

Classification guide

Electronics

Classification guide