🇺🇸 Important U.S. Shipping Info – Please Read Carefully.
Brothers and Sisters in the States – listen up. The rules have changed, and not in our favor.
What you must know:
Shipping cost ≠ tariffs.
The shipping rate you pay in our shop covers transportation only. It does not include U.S. import duties, brokerage fees, or state sales tax. These are separate and must be paid by you upon import.
Why are there duties at all?
We ship from Germany. The U.S. administration decided to suspend the de minimis rule (the $800 duty-free threshold). Since then, every package from abroad is subject to tariffs– regardless if it comes from China, Europe, or anywhere else.
Unstable rules.
Duties and taxes can change at any time, depending on how the U.S. government feels like adjusting import regulations. We cannot give you binding numbers, only estimates.
Carriers.
DHL has suspended all low-cost routes. UPS is currently the only shipping option left. Many other carriers stopped servicing the U.S. entirely because of the unclear situation. We continue shipping while others quit – and we hope to reintroduce a cheaper DHL option once the dust settles.
APO / FPO Addresses
At the moment it is not possible to ship to APO / FPO addresses worldwide.
DHL (as a partner of USPS) used to handle deliveries to military bases, but this option is currently suspended. UPS – our current carrier – often has no access to APO / FPO facilities.
👉 Tip: Please use your home address instead. We will ship directly there.
👉 If you are stationed within Europe: provide your European home address (not the military base address). No customs duties apply within the EU – and shipping is cheaper too.
Estimated costs – examples
100 Euro (ca. 117 $ order value)
- Federal duty (approx. 30%): + 30 € (≈ 35 $)
- UPS brokerage fee: + 14,90 € (≈ 17,40 $)
- State sales tax (example: California, 10%): + 10 € (≈ 11,70 $)
= 154,90 € (≈ 181,20 $) total landed cost
________
50 Euro (ca. 58,50 $ order value)
- Federal duty (approx. 30%): + 15 € (≈ 17,40 $)
- UPS brokerage fee: + 14,90 € (≈ 17,50 $)
- State sales tax (example: California, 10%): + 5 € (≈ 5,85 $)
= 84,90 € (≈ 99,25 $) total landed cost
________
200 Euro (ca. 234 $ order value)
- Federal duty (approx. 30%): + 60 € (≈ 70,20 $)
- UPS brokerage fee: + 14,90 € (≈ 17,50 $)
- State sales tax (example: California, 10%): + 20 € (≈ 23,40 $)
= 294,90 € (≈ 345,10 $) total landed cost
⚠️ Please note:
- State sales taxes vary heavily – not only from state to state, but even from city to city. The example above uses California (one of the highest rates). Your own rate may be lower – or in rare cases higher – depending on your location.
- Figures can change at any time depending on U.S. regulations. They are provided only as guidance and carry no guarantee of accuracy.
- Federal duties are estimated at 30% in these examples. Actual rates vary by product category, so we prefer to set a higher benchmark rather than list endless variations.
⚠️ Please note – Duties & Final Word
We know this is frustrating. But let’s be absolutely clear: these costs are not ours. They are imposed by the U.S. government, collected by U.S. Customs and UPS.
We keep shipping to the States when many others already stopped. If you choose to order, know the risks, expect the extra charges – and understand that this is the price of keeping the Kult alive across the ocean.
Also, please stay fair: some of you write to us asking “what’s with these duties?” As a German company, it is not our job to explain another country’s customs laws. What we do here is extra support, to help you navigate these rules as best as possible. We do this for transparency – not because we control or created them.
