Before you sell abroad, check these 5 things

The US $800 duty-free rule ended on Aug 29, 2025. It's the change everyone heard about. But duties are only one of the costs that show up after you've already listed. Run these five checks first.

1. Your real margin

Your listing price isn't what you keep. Marketplace fees, cross-border fees, shipping, and product cost all come out first. On eBay US, most categories charge 13.6% of the total sale plus $0.30–0.40 per order, and extra fees can apply depending on where you're registered and where you ship.

2. Duties at the border

Low-value parcels into the US from any country now pay duties. Every parcel counts. Price duties in before you list, not after.

3. Shipping expectations

Buyers see your delivery date right next to everyone else's. Set your delivery location to the US, search your main keyword, and note the delivery dates on the top 5 listings. Close the gap, or price for it.

4. The cost of a return

One return from overseas can wipe out the profit of several sales. Before you list, decide who pays return shipping, and whether you'd refund without asking for the item back. Then build that cost into your price.

5. What actually sells

Active listings show what sellers hope to get. Sold listings show what buyers actually paid. On eBay, search your item and tick "Sold items" in the filters to see what sold, how often, and at what price.

The real question

All five point to one thing. The question isn't "Can I sell there?" It's "Will it sell, before I stock it?"