Duties, Taxes & Landed Cost

Yes, through duty drawback. When customers return DDP-shipped products, you can recover the prepaid duties from customs. The process varies by country and has documentation requirements. Swap automatically processes duty drawback on qualifying returns, removing the admin burden.

Rising tariffs, the end of de minimis, and new compliance requirements are increasing the cost of cross-border trade. Brands that relied on low-cost direct-from-China shipping are most affected. The winners are brands that invest in proper classification, DDP shipping, and platforms that optimise landed cost. Swap helps brands navigate this shift with accurate duty calculation and tariff mitigation tools.

Use Swap's built-in analytics and scenario tools to model tariffs, pricing, and margin impact before changes go live. The Tariff Calculator provides instant landed cost estimates for any market. Test different duty rates, shipping methods, and pricing strategies to find the optimal approach per market.

When a customer enters their delivery address at checkout, the system instantly identifies the destination country, looks up the applicable HS codes for items in the cart, calculates duties based on product value and origin, adds destination-country taxes, and displays the total landed cost, all in milliseconds. Swap guarantees accurate calculations worldwide.

If you shipped DDP, you paid the duties, so you bear the cost until you successfully claim drawback. Without automation, many brands write off these duties as losses. Swap automatically processes duty drawback on qualifying returns, recovering duties you'd otherwise lose.

Yes, they vary by country. In the US, claims must typically be filed within 5 years of import. In the EU, time limits vary by member state (generally 3 years). The sooner you file, the better, delays can cause documentation issues. Automated processing through Swap ensures claims are filed promptly.

A $100 product may cost $30+ to return and reprocess internationally, including return shipping, customs processing, quality inspection, restocking, and customer service time. Industry research shows every $1M in cross-border sales without a strong returns plan could lose $150,000-$200,000 to return-related expenses.

Duty drawback is the refund of customs duties paid on imported goods that are subsequently exported (returned). Application requirements vary by country but typically need proof of original import, proof of return/export, and a claim filed within the statutory time limit. Swap automates this process.