US Shipping – Explained

US Shipping Update… January 2026. 

We’ve made a company-wide move from UPS to FedEx. As part of this change, you’ll now see an FDA Prior Notice fee incorporated into shipping at checkout. Previously, this cost was charged separately by UPS as a brokerage fee.

We know this may make your purchase appear more expensive at checkout, and we truly wish there were simpler, barrier-free alternatives. Sadly, it seems the opposite is unfolding. Your custom means a great deal to us, and we hope we can continue to support you through the turbulence, always with a comforting cuppa.

FDA Delays

Since the removal of the de-minimis exemption, we’ve seen a much higher number of parcels selected for additional FDA inspection. This can be a lengthy process, and unfortunately once a parcel is held by a federal agency, there is no way for us to expedite it. We are very grateful for your patience, and please rest assured our logistics team is closely monitoring FDA rules and updates to ensure every order remains fully compliant.

US Shipping Update… September 15th 2025. 

Hello to our US customers,

As you may know, we paused US shipping last month when the de minimis exemption was lifted. We are now planning to resume shipping, but we want to be transparent about the situation.

Firstly, adding new couriers is not an option for us. This requires negotiating contracts with estimated parcel volumes and arranging regular collections, which is very difficult, particularly so close to Christmas. The uncertainty on the global trade situation has impacted our orders from the United States. With our US orders having halved since last year, we are unlikely to secure better pricing.

This leaves us with our two current couriers – UPS and Springmail. Before the pause, we used Springmail for orders under 2kg, which allowed shipping costs to start from £18. Under the new tariffs, Springmail will only ship using DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), which means collecting customs and tariff payments upfront. Our website is not set up for this, and implementing it quickly is not feasible at the minute – we’re entering a busy Christmas period, there is significant technical work  and the level of admin required is significant for our small team at a key time of year.

That leaves us with UPS. The most expensive option and costs have been rising year on year. Our rates start at £26 for any order under 500g, with an additional daily fuel surcharge that has varied from 20% to 30% this year. Shipping a single carton of tea bags can cost us around £31 before accounting for the box, packing materials, and other expenses – you get the picture.

We do our absolute best to absorb as much of the shipping cost as possible, but with these figures that’s just not feasible.

Payment of tariffs and custom duties

When your package reaches the US, you will be charged brokerage fees, tariffs & usual customs. You will pay this direct to the courier, either on delivery or using your tracking number online. UPS has not given a clear indication of how these will be calculated during the current six-month transition period, they may apply a flat rate. They are not being forced to offer UK tariff rate of 10% until the end of the transition period.

You can read further here: https://www.ups.com/gb/en/shipping/international-shipping/

We considered leaving US shipping paused, but ultimately decided to give customers the choice to order. Very regretfully, we will have to raise shipping costs substantially, and this is not a decision we wanted to make.

We hope that as the transition period continues, courier processes will become clearer and more transparent.

team eteaket x