Import Duties and Taxes - SCUBA Diving Equipment
With very few exceptions, international shipments are subject to import duties and taxes based on the rate table below. Import duties, taxes, and related fees are not included in shipping charges and are collected upon delivery.
This page explains how import duties, taxes, and customs processing work, and how they may affect delivery timing and total cost for international shipments.
Dive Gear Express prepares the required Customs documentation, including an International Customs Form and invoice attached to the package. Items are declared as "Water-sport Equipment, Other" with country of origin listed as USA and value equal to the invoice amount. For additional detail, see Customs Clearance for Small Parcels.
Dive Gear Express guarantees safe arrival of your order.
Dive Gear Express offers international shipping via USPS, UPS, and DHL directly to most countries. If our checkout process provides shipping options for your country, we are able to dispatch directly to your address and Dive Gear Express guarantees safe arrival of your order. For those few countries for which we are currently unable to offer insured international shipping service with guaranteed timely safe arrival, we recommend using a third-party package forwarding service. For more information see Forwarding Services for International Customers. Dive Gear Express is willing to ship directly to some countries for which we are unable to guarantee safe arrival upon receipt of non-refundable order payment by international wire transfer. For further information see Non-guaranteed Shipping for International Customers.
Duty and tax rates for "HS 9506.29 Water-sport Equipment, Other"
Disclaimer -- The rates below are estimates based on multiple sources, including customer reports, and may not be complete or current. Import duties can be unpredictable, and rates may differ for business shipments or because of geopolitical changes. Local offices of third-party expedited couriers such as DHL and UPS may apply a service fee for advancing duty and tax payments during customs clearance. This fee is typically about 2% to 3% of the amount advanced, usually with a $10.00 to $15.00 minimum. For low-value orders, the minimum fee may be disproportionate to the order value.Please read this ALERT: Improper "fees" on international packages
| Country | Duty (%) | Tax (VAT / GST) & Notes |
|---|---|---|
| European Union (general) | ~2.7% | VAT applies by country (typically 17%–27%). Individual country rates listed below. |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 10% | 15% |
| Aruba | 6% | No tax |
| Australia | 5% | 10% (Exemption for GST eliminated) |
| Austria | 2.70% | 20% |
| Bahrain | 5% | 5% |
| Barbados | 10% | 17.50% |
| Belgium | 2.70% | 21% |
| Belize | 10% | 12.50% |
| Bermuda | 22.25% | No tax |
| Brazil | 20% | Varies by province. No USPS delivery guarantee; see Forwarding Services |
| Canada | 0% | 5% GST or 13% HST depending on province. For orders shipped via UPS and DHL, Canadian law requires the carrier to contact the customer to arrange delivery. Clearance fees can be significant on small orders, so Canadian customers may wish to consider self-clearing. |
| Cayman Islands | 22% | No tax |
| Chile | 6% | 19%. No USPS delivery guarantee; see Forwarding Services |
| Cyprus | 2.70% | 19% |
| Czech Republic | 2.70% | 21% |
| Denmark | 2.70% | 25% |
| Dominica | 10% | 15% |
| Ecuador | 30% | 12% |
| Egypt | 5% | 10% |
| Estonia | 2.70% | 20% |
| Finland | 2.70% | 24% |
| France | 2.70% | 20% |
| Germany | 2.70% | 19% |
| Gibraltar | 12% | No tax |
| Greece | 2.70% | 24% |
| Grenada | 10% | 15% |
| Guadeloupe | 2.70% | 8.50% |
| Guernsey | 2.70% | No tax |
| Hong Kong, SAR PRC | 0% | No tax (Please use city "Hong Kong" and postal code "999077") |
| Hungary | 2.70% | 27% |
| Iceland | 10% | 24% |
| Indonesia | 15% | 10%. No USPS delivery guarantee; see Forwarding Services |
| Ireland | 2.70% | 23% |
| Isle of Man | 2.70% | 20% |
| Israel | 0% | 18% |
| Italy | 2.70% | 22% |
| Jamaica | 10% | 16.50% |
| Japan | 0% | 10% |
| Jersey | 2.70% | 5% |
| Kuwait | 5% | 5% |
| Latvia | 2.70% | 21% |
| Lithuania | 2.70% | 21% |
| Luxembourg | 2.70% | 17% |
| Macau, SAR PRC | 0% | No tax (Please use city "Macau" and postal code "999078") |
| Maldives | 0% | 6% (Import fees may vary if shipped to a business address.) |
| Malta | 2.70% | 18% |
| Martinique | 2.70% | 8.50% |
| Mayotte | 2.70% | 0% |
| Mexico | 0% | 16%. No USPS delivery guarantee; see Forwarding Services. Orders over $1000.00 shipped via DHL or UPS require the customer to provide their own in-country customs broker. |
| Monaco | 2.70% | 20% |
| Morocco | 2.50% | 20% |
| Namibia | 0% | 15% |
| Netherlands | 2.70% | 21% |
| New Zealand | 5% | 15% |
| Norway | 0% | 25% |
| Philippines | 1% | 12% |
| Poland | 2.70% | 23% |
| Portugal | 2.70% | 23% |
| Puerto Rico | 0% | 7.25% |
| Qatar | 5% | 0% |
| Reunion | 2.70% | 8.50% |
| Romania | 2.70% | 19% |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 10% | 17% |
| Saint Lucia | 10% | 15% |
| Saint Martin | 0% | No tax |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 10% | 15% |
| Saudi Arabia | 5% | 15% (Effective July 2020) |
| Singapore | 0% | 9% |
| South Africa | 0% | 15% (Effective April 2018) |
| South Korea | 8% | 10% |
| Spain | 2.70% | 21% |
| Suriname | 10% | 10% |
| Sweden | 2.70% | 25% |
| Switzerland | 0% | 8.1%. Additional CHF45.00 per 100 kg applies. |
| Taiwan | 2.50% | 5% |
| Thailand | 10% | 7%. No USPS delivery guarantee; see Forwarding Services |
| Turkey | 2.70% | 18% |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | 30% | No tax |
| United Arab Emirates | 5% | 5% |
| United Kingdom | 2.70% | 20% |