Destination file · united-states

Buy from Switzerland,
delivered to the United States.

Read this before you order

The duty rate on Swiss goods has changed five times since August 2025, and the $800 de-minimis exemption no longer exists. Anyone quoting you a US landed cost from a rate card written last year is quoting you the wrong number.

12.5%All-in duty on most Swiss goods, MFN inclusive
CHF 0De-minimis threshold — duty applies from the first franc
2–4Working days, Geneva to most US metros
0%Federal import VAT — the US has none

What duty actually costs

Five rates in twelve months.

This is not a stable market, and pretending otherwise is how importers get caught. We hold the current position as versioned data, re-check it on the morning of every purchase, and re-quote you if it moves between acceptance and shipping.

Duty on Swiss goodsupdated 11 Aug 2026
0%10%20%30%40%Aug 2539%Nov 2515%Feb 2610%Jul 2612.5%
  • Aug 2025Reciprocal tariff appliedSwiss goods hit 39%, among the highest rate applied to any country.39%
  • 29 Aug 2025De-minimis suspendedThe $800 low-value exemption ends for every country. All inbound parcels become dutiable.—
  • 14 Nov 2025Framework agreementUS, Switzerland and Liechtenstein sign a joint statement cutting the rate to a 15% ceiling, implemented in December and backdated.15%
  • 20 Feb 2026Supreme Court rulingIEEPA held not to authorise the tariffs. A global 10% under Section 122 replaces them from 24 February, valid 150 days.10%
  • 24 Jul 2026Section 301 dutiesSection 122 lapses. New forced-labour duties of 10–12.5% apply to 60 economies. Switzerland is capped at 12.5% all-in.12.5%
  • The current measure is a cap, not a surcharge. Duty and the Section 301 addition together total 12.5%. Where the ordinary MFN rate is already at or above 12.5%, nothing further is added — so a good at 15% MFN stays at 15%, and a watch at roughly 10% MFN is topped up to 12.5%. Most online calculators stack the two and overcharge you.

Sources: USTR Section 301 determination and Federal Register notice, 24 July 2026; US–Switzerland joint statement, 14 November 2025; CBP de-minimis suspension, 29 August 2025. Verified 11 August 2026. Carve-outs exist — including certain foods, goods already covered by Section 232, and a handful of oddly specific items. We check the exemption schedule per HS code, not per country.

Landed cost

What it actually costs to land in United States.

Every figure updates live. The duty basis, tax base and de-minimis rule change with the destination — that is the whole reason this page exists.

Goods, Swiss retail1 × CHF 1'649.00 incl. VAT1'649.00
Swiss VAT refunded8.1% reclaimed on export− 123.56
Net declared valuethe customs value1'525.44
Service fee8% of net · min. CHF 20122.04
Handlinginspection and extras25.00
Air freight14.8 kg chargeable · 2–4 days170.76
Import dutySection 301 all-in cap · 12.5% on FOB · HS 8516.71190.68
Federal import VATnone — states assess use tax separately0.00
Total landed, DDP
Nothing owed on arrivalCHF 2'033.91≈ 2,522.05 USD

Most requested

What Americans buy from Switzerland.

Ranked by request volume through our desk. Watches dominate, but the growth is in things US retail simply does not carry.

  • ✓Mechanical watchesBoutique allocation and grey-market gaps. Bought at the Swiss retail price with the warranty registered in your name, not a reseller's.
  • ✓Victorinox, full rangeUS distribution carries a fraction of the catalogue. Engraving and Swiss-only editions are ordered direct from the Brand Store.
  • ✓Läderach and Sprüngli chocolateTemperature-controlled packing May to September. Fresh Luxemburgerli cannot survive the transit — we will tell you rather than take the order.
  • ✓Freitag bagsEvery piece is unique, so US stock never matches the Swiss configurator. We photograph the exact unit before purchase.
  • ✓Jura coffee machines230 V. The US runs 120 V, so this needs a rated step-up transformer or the US-voltage variant. We quote the transformer in the same line.
  • ✓Caran d'Ache and Swiss stationeryLow value, high margin against US retail, and light enough that freight barely moves the total.

Restricted or refused

What we will not ship there.

We screen every request against this list before quoting. A refusal costs you nothing; a seizure costs you the goods.

  • ✕Raw-milk cheese aged under 60 daysFDA prohibits import. Most Gruyère and Emmental are aged well past this and are fine; soft alpine cheeses usually are not.
  • ✕Food without FDA Prior NoticeAny food shipment needs an electronic filing before arrival. We file it. Sellers who do not are why parcels get destroyed at the border.
  • ✕Dietary supplements at scalePersonal quantities are usually accepted. Commercial volumes need an FDA-registered importer, which we are not.
  • ✕Absinthe above the thujone limitTraditional Swiss absinthe frequently exceeds the US limit. We check the specific bottling.
  • ✕Prescription medicinesSwissmedic-dispensed drugs cannot be imported for personal use in most cases. No exceptions on our side.
  • ✕Anything sanctioned or dual-useScreened against SECO and OFAC lists at quote, and again at payment.

Transit

Geneva to your door in two to four days.

All routes are tracked and insured to full replacement value. Duty is prepaid by us on every service, so the carrier never presents you with a bill.

ServiceDoor to door
DHL Express WorldwideDefault for anything under 30 kg2–3 days
FedEx International PriorityBetter coverage for rural addresses2–4 days
UPS Worldwide SaverPreferred for business accounts with a broker3–4 days
Swiss Post PriorityEconomy, for low-value and non-urgent6–9 days

Questions

Shipping to United States, answered.

Do I still get charged duty on a small order?

Yes. The $800 de-minimis exemption was suspended for all countries on 29 August 2025, so duty applies from the first franc of declared value. This is the single biggest change to US importing in a decade, and it is why a CHF 60 order that was free to import in 2024 now carries duty today. We include it in the quote so nothing arrives collect.

Why is your declared value lower than the price I see on the Swiss site?

Swiss retail prices include 8.1% VAT. On export that VAT is reclaimed and credited back to you, so the declared customs value is the net figure. It is lower legitimately, it is documented on the commercial invoice, and it also reduces the duty and tax calculated on top.

What happens if the tariff changes between my payment and my shipment?

We re-check the rate on the morning of purchase and again at export clearance. If it falls, we refund the difference. If it rises, we absorb it on orders already paid — that risk is ours, and it is priced into the service fee.

Can I be the importer of record instead?

Yes, on request. We ship DDP by default because one payment and no surprise bill is what most customers want. Businesses reclaiming their own duty, or anyone with a customs broker already engaged, can ask for DAP and we will hand the entry over.

Will a Swiss watch still have a valid warranty in the US?

It will carry the manufacturer's international warranty, registered to your name at the point of sale. Some brands restrict servicing to the region of purchase — we tell you which before you buy, because it is the most common regret in this category.

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