We Are Continuing to Ship to the United States
We have recently received questions from customers regarding reports that the FDA will “ban” international prescription medicine shipments from 22 October 2026.
We would like to clarify what is changing and what we have been doing to prepare.
The 22 October change is not itself a blanket FDA ban on all international prescription medicine shipments.
The change relates to new U.S. customs and import requirements for international postal shipments, including additional requirements for products regulated by U.S. Partner Government Agencies (PGA), such as the FDA.
On 29 August 2025, the United States suspended the de minimis duty-free treatment previously available to low-value international shipments.
Since these changes came into effect, we have worked with Zonos, a specialist in international customs and cross-border trade technology, to help ensure our U.S. shipments meet the changing customs requirements.
Zonos facilitates the calculation and remittance of applicable U.S. duties to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and supports the customs information required for our U.S.-bound postal shipments.
What Is Changing on 22 October 2026?
From 22 October, U.S.-bound international postal shipments will require more complete product and regulatory information.
This includes additional information for products regulated by Partner Government Agencies such as the FDA.
In preparation for this change, we have already been working with Zonos to provide more detailed information about the products we ship, including full 10-digit U.S. tariff classifications and other product and compliance information required for U.S. customs processing.
Zonos screens product information for applicable U.S. government agency requirements so that shipments carry the information required for customs and regulatory processing.
This is the purpose of the additional product information we have been providing to Zonos ahead of the 22 October implementation date.
How Your Order Reaches You
- You place your order with us
- We prepare your order and required customs/product information
- Zonos processes the applicable U.S. customs requirements
- Applicable duties and customs charges are processed for U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- Required product and regulatory information accompanies the customs process
- Your parcel travels through the international postal network
- U.S. customs/regulatory clearance
- Your parcel continues to you in the United States
Our role is to make sure the information required to properly present your shipment to U.S. authorities is provided through the appropriate customs process.
What Is the 15% U.S. Charge on My Order?
U.S. customers will have noticed a 15% U.S. Import & Customs Charge added to their orders.
We have referred to this simply as a “tariff charge.” However, that description does not fully explain what the charge is used for.
The 15% charge is collected to help cover the increased costs associated with getting your parcel properly processed and delivered into the United States, including:
- applicable U.S. customs duties;
- customs clearance and processing costs; and
- Zonos services associated with processing and remitting applicable U.S. import charges.
These additional costs are necessary for us to continue sending orders to our U.S. customers under the changing U.S. customs requirements.
Our aim is simply to recover the increased costs associated with U.S. importation and customs processing. The 15% charge is not an additional source of revenue or profit for us.
This process also allows these costs to be dealt with as part of your order rather than customers unexpectedly being asked to pay import charges when their parcel reaches the United States.
Are We Still Shipping to the United States?
Yes. We are continuing to accept and dispatch orders to our U.S. customers.
We have been preparing for the changing U.S. import environment since the major customs changes began in August 2025, and we continue to work with Zonos and our postal partners as the requirements evolve.
The October 22 change is an important customs and compliance change, but it should not be confused with a blanket announcement that the FDA has banned all international prescription medicine shipments.
For customers who would like to understand more about how Zonos supports U.S.-bound postal shipments and the new October 22 requirements, further information is available directly from Zonos: https://zonos.com/docs/postal/tools-for-shippers/verified-accounts
