We understand that buying and importing products from international brands can be challenging, rules and documentation requirements vary, depending on:
- Your country, its laws and regulations
- The products you are importing
- The country of origin of these products
As a retailer on Faire, you are the importer of record, and are responsible for ensuring you have the right to resell the products you purchase on Faire, in compliance with US laws and regulation.
We want to help you feel confident buying from international brands.
This guide consists of tips and advice for US retailers buying and importing international products into the US.
For more information directly from the FDA, check out their informational website with guidance for importers on the requirements for importing FDA-regulated products.
Please note, this resource is non-exhaustive and purely indicative.
To learn about general international guidance (not US specific), visit How to buy internationally on Faire
How to determine if you can buy, import and resell international products in the US
To determine if you can import and resell products purchased internationally into the US, we recommend:
- Consulting governmental websites to check if there are any restrictions or specific requirements for importing the products you wish to purchase internationally.
- Look into any license requirements, or permit you may need as an importer when purchasing certain products. To learn more, you can visit What kind of license is required to import merchandise into the United States?
- Consulting legal counsel and/or a customs broker to determine your readiness to import given products from a given country.
- Looking into potential restrictions enforced by your country, based on the country of manufacturing/origin of the products. You can do so by searching the products you purchase in the CROSS (Customs Rulings Online Search System); this will surface any restrictions on country of origin.
Documentation and compliance requirements for the import of international products into the US
Upon import of products, as the importer, you may be required to provide some information and/or documentation to support customs clearance of your order.
You will find non-exhaustive guidance below, to help understand what falls under your responsibility as the importer, if requested by U.S. Customs :
| Document type | Retailer responsibility | Brand responsibility |
| Documentation specific to your company (if applicable and required) | ✔️ | |
| License or permit to import specific controlled products | ✔️ | |
| Proof of right to resell | ✔️ | |
| Tax related identification for your company (Tax ID, EIN, SSN, etc.) |
✔️ |
|
| Importing registration number (IRS business tax number, DUNS number) if applicable | ✔️ | |
| Completion and Signature of forms for import (TSCA, FSVP, LACEY, ADD/CVD, etc.) |
✔️ |
|
|
POA letter (Power of Attorney) if applicable or Customs broker information if applicable
|
✔️ | |
|
Packing slip |
✔️ | |
| Commercial invoice | ✔️ | |
| Documentation or information specific to manufacturing practices or information (if applicable) |
✔️ |
|
| Product specific documentation (if applicable) | ✔️ |
Faire does not possess or provide documentation or information specific to your company, your right to trade, purchase and import products into your country. This type of documentation has to be provided by yourself as the importer of record.
Customs broker
As a retailer buying internationally, you may contract a customs broker to help you with import regulations and compliance. If you have a customs broker, we recommend notifying the brand via Faire Messenger when you place your order, so they can include this on the commercial invoice prior to shipping your order.
If your customs brokerage information is included on the commercial invoice, they will be contacted at the time of import to clear the package on your behalf.
If your customs brokerage information is not provided on the commercial invoice, you will be contacted directly by the carrier to clear the package.
If you do not have a customs broker and want to authorize carriers to clear customs on your behalf, you will need to draft a POA (Power of Attorney) letter, and share it with the carrier upon request. Please note, this applies to tightly controlled product categories.
Tightly regulated product categories in the USA
When importing into the US, you are required to comply with any import regulations as set out by your Government, including, but not limited to, regulations for controlled goods. Importing controlled goods into your country/region may require additional authorization or clearance.
Below, we have listed some common controlled goods categories for which additional requirements may apply:
- Controlled goods : products that require licenses or permits for import, or additional documentation from the importer.
- Dangerous goods (DG): Substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials.
- Food products Food product means any substance (food, food ingredient, flavoring and consumables such as vitamins and supplements) intended to be consumed by humans or animals.
- For general information on import of food into the US, visit the FDA resources at this link: Importing Food Products into the United States
- The FSVP program (Foreign Supplier Verification) requires that importers of food products verify that the products imported meet the US safety standards. To learn more, visit FSVP program
- An FSVP importer may be required to obtain a DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet. For more information on how to request a DUNS number, please refer to What Is a D‑U‑N‑S Number?
- More information on importing animal food can be bound in Importing - Animal Food
- A Veterinary Services Import Permit may be required to be allowed to import animal-by-products into the USA (this could apply to beef, chicken, or and flavoring used in products such as crisps for example. We have noticed this being frequently requested for meat “Flavored” snacks or pet products), we recommend consulting the U.S. Department of Agriculture website for more information: USDA
-
Animal products An animal product is any material derived from the body of an animal, products containing animal substances.
- To learn more about importing animal products, visit the following resources on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) website: Import Animal Products
- A FWS import permit may be requested to import a specific category of animal products, to learn more, visit the Fish and Wildlife Service
-
Fish and Wildlife composite products (For example, this could be required for products containing seashell, mother-of-pearl, any feathers, etc.) :
- The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) requires anyone importing F&W composite products to have an import license, under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
- To learn more, visit Electronic Import Export License (eLicense) and CITES
- Cosmetics and skin products : any substance or mixture intended to be placed in contact with the external parts of the human body. To learn more about requirements for importing cosmetics, visit the FDA page Cosmetics Importers
- Plant and seed products. To learn more about certificates, import permit or other documents required when importing plant and seeds products into the US, visit Plant Import Information
- Metal, Gemstones, and jewelry products
- Toys To learn more about Toy Safety, visit Consumer Product Safety Commission website Import Resources
- Food contact products
Please note, this list is non-exhaustive and purely indicative. Faire takes no responsibility in updating these websites, the resources linked are governmental pages only.
Import duties
As the importer, you're responsible for any import duties or taxes charged on international shipments.
Import duties are based on the type and origin of the goods, as determined by tariff codes provided by the brand.
For more information on how import duties work, visit How do import duties work?
The most recent changes to US tariffs will impact the way import duties apply to your international orders, to learn more, visit How will tariff updates impact my shipments, starting August 29, 2025?
For more information on how recent tariff changes may affect you, visit 2025 US and Canada Tariffs Updates, impact to Retailers.
What happens if customs agencies or carriers require additional information to import my order?
If you order products internationally, and additional information or documentation is required for customs clearance, upon entrance of the products into the EU or into your country : you might be contacted by a customs agent, carrier, Faire, or the brand you ordered from to provide the necessary information to help clear customs.
Here are a few things to keep in mind :
- You are the importer, the brand is the exporter.
- The customs agent and/or carrier may reach out to you via phone, or via Faire support on an email thread. The brand would most likely reach out via Faire Messenger.
- Faire cannot provide : documentation or information specific to your company, your right to trade, purchase and import products into your country. (i.e.: license, permit, certification, import declarations, etc.) This has to be provided by yourself as the importer.
- Orders can typically be “stalled” at a border for a limited time, (this tends to vary between 3 and 5 days maximum)
- As the importer, it is your responsibility to accept the order, and to facilitate import, providing any information required.
If you are unresponsive, or fail to provide the required information/documentation/license, the customs agency may decide to return the shipment. (Return to Sender). This decision is outside of Faire’s control.
Please note, Faire keeps record of failures to import international orders, as well as the cost associated with shipping these products back to the brands. Faire reserves the right to review your account as well as ability to order on the platform in accordance with our Terms of Service.
How will tariff updates impact my shipments, starting August 29, 2025?
For more information on how recent tariff changes may affect you, visit 2025 US and Canada Tariffs Updates, impact to Retailers. Effective August 29, 2025, shipping carriers will choose one of two methods to calculate duties on US-bound shipments:
- Ad valorem duty: A percentage-based tariff based on the value of your goods and their country of origin.
- Specific duty (temporary option): A flat-rate fee per shipment, determined by the origin country’s tariff rate:
- $80 per shipment if the effective rate is less than 16%
- $160 per shipment if the rate is between 16% and 25%
- $200 per shipment if the rate is higher than 25%
Carriers will choose which method to apply, and Faire is not able to determine this in advance. The final duty amount will be listed on your carrier invoice after import.
Products that qualify under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) can still be shipped duty-free. To qualify, products must be made in Canada, the US, or Mexico, with sufficient materials and manufacturing from these countries.
Our estimating partner is actively updating their systems to reflect these changes, and we’ll continue improving the accuracy of duty estimates as more information becomes available.
A number of national postal providers have temporarily paused shipments to the US. This is due to uncertainty around new technical requirements tied to upcoming tariff changes to the de minimis exemption, which are currently scheduled to take effect on August 29, 2025.
The good news is that shipments sent through UPS, DHL (Express service) and FedEx remain unaffected. These carriers are available via Ship with Faire, and brands can continue to send orders via these carriers to the US without disruption.
If you’ve been contacted by a brand about a specific order being impacted by this suspension, please contact us for help in discussing next steps.
This is an active and fast-changing policy area. For the latest updates, we recommend reviewing The White House Executive Orders.
Will I have to pay duties on orders shipped from Canada?
Starting August 29, 2025, the $800 USD de minimis exemption will be removed. This means all international commercial shipments to the US will require customs processing and may be subject to duties, regardless of their value or origin. When buying on Faire, you as the retailer are responsible for paying any applicable duties.
Certain products that qualify under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) can still be shipped duty-free. To qualify, products must originate in Canada, the US, or Mexico within the meaning of the USMCA, with sufficient materials and manufacturing from these countries. If a brand marks their products as USMCA-compliant on Faire, you’ll not see a duty estimate when shopping.
The brand is responsible for including a certification of origin within the shipment to support application of the USMCA exemption and avoid unnecessary duties. As the importer, it is your responsibility to maintain this certification in your records and submit it to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) upon CBP’s request. It is the responsibility of both you and the brand to confirm that goods for which you claim preferential tariff treatment under the USMCA meet all of the applicable USMCA rules of origin for those goods and any other applicable USMCA requirements. Faire does not independently verify that goods are USMCA-compliant and cannot guarantee duty-free treatment.
How will duty estimates be calculated for USMCA products?
If a brand marks a product as USMCA compliant, we will not display duty estimates for that product. When you add it to your cart or proceed to checkout, no duty cost will be shown—since these items should be duty-free according to the brand’s certification.
Duties estimates are provided on a product level, so if brands have a mix of USMCA compliant and non-compliant products, you may see duty estimates in your cart for that brand and at checkout for the products that are not exempt from duty fees by USMCA.
What happens if a brand doesn’t include the right documentation?
Brands must provide documentation in all shipments containing USMCA duty-free products which certifies the products’ origin. Depending on the value of the shipment, you may be required to submit the certification to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP):
- For all shipments over $2,500 USD, the importer (usually the retailer) is required to provide the certification of origin to CBP.
- For shipments under $2,500 USD, the importer will not be routinely required to provide the certification to CBP, but if CBP asks for it, the importer must provide it within 30 days.
If this documentation is missing or inaccurate, US customs may apply duties.
Who is responsible for providing the certificate of origin?
If CBP asks for the certification of origin, the importer of record is responsible for providing it within 30 days. In most cases, the retailer is the importer of record, and is therefore responsible for providing it. Under Faire's process, the brand will create the certification and provide it to the retailer in the shipment. You should make sure to keep the certification in your records in case CBP asks for it.
If you receive a request from CBP for the certification of origin and you do not have it, contact the brand right away—they have the product details needed to complete the certification. If you encounter any issues obtaining the certification, please reach out to us and we will help.
What should I do if I am charged duties for products marked as USMCA-compliant on Faire?
If you suspect that you were charged duties on a product listed as USMCA-compliant, it may mean the brand did not provide the correct documentation. We recommend first asking your carrier for a detailed invoice with line-item charges to confirm whether the fees are related to tariff rates or other administrative costs. You should also ask your carrier to verify whether acceptable certification of origin was included with the shipment.
If both the invoice and carrier confirm that duties were charged on products marked as USMCA compliant, please contact us and include a copy of the invoice so we can help resolve the issue.
Why do I see a warning at checkout about other fees if the products are USMCA-compliant?
USMCA compliance means your order will be exempt from duties, but international orders may still incur other fees when crossing the border. These additional fees are separate from duties and may include brokerage fees, disbursement fees, merchandising process fees, and storage fees. This is not a complete list of possible charges.
This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or customs compliance advice. Brands and retailers remain responsible for ensuring shipments comply with applicable laws and regulations. In particular, it is the responsibility of brands and retailers to confirm that all goods for which you claim preferential tariff treatment under the USMCA meet all of the applicable USMCA rules of origin for those goods and any other applicable USMCA requirements.