We’ve got some important news to share about shopping K-beauty from overseas, specifically if you’re in the US.
Recently, the US government rolled out major changes to customs policies that affect all international shipments from Asia (not just from China and Hong Kong anymore). These changes mean:
- More shipments are being taxed and hit with fees (even smaller ones that used to be exempt).
- Customs clearance is slower because way more packages now need to be processed.
- The extra costs aren’t small—they’re stacking up quickly for shoppers and for us as a store.
We want to stress, for all clarity, that the information described in this article is only relevant for Gwenchanda shoppers located in the United States.
What This Means for US Shoppers
If you’ve been following the news, you already know that the US is tightening rules on overseas shopping. Before, many orders under a certain amount could sneak through customs tax-free. That’s no longer the case. Extra fees & taxes are now the norm, no matter the shipping method, amount, or origin.
The value of the products determine how much taxes you pay. Using a FedEx Duty and Tax Estimate tool we learned that the taxes seem to be 10% of the product value. In an example of an order of 100 USD of products and 20 USD shipping cost, the taxes were estimated as 10 USD which made the landed cost 130 USD, according to the tool. Screenshots of 3 different examples are posted below:
Note that FedEx will likely charge an additional fee for arranging customs clearance for your parcel. It is our understanding that you may expect a Disbursement Fee of 4.50 USD per shipment for shipments under 225 USD in value. If the shipment is over 225 USD in value, then the fee will be 2% of the shipment value.
It’s important to realize that these new US customs rules don’t just affect Gwenchanda—they apply to every overseas cosmetics shop shipping to the US. Whether you’re ordering from Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Europe, or anywhere else abroad, extra fees and taxes are now unavoidable.
But here’s the silver lining: since taxes are calculated as a percentage of the product value, shopping with a store like Gwenchanda — where prices are already lower on average — means you’ll still end up paying less tax overall compared to buying the same items at higher-priced stores.
Why We’re Ending the No-Fee Guarantee
When we launched the No-Fee Guarantee for US buyers, our goal was to give you complete peace of mind: no surprise charges, no stress. We covered any unexpected fees for you.
But with the new US policy, those costs have exploded. Covering them for every US order has simply become too expensive to keep up. If we continued, we’d have to raise our prices across the board—and that’s not something we want for our community.
So, as of August 29, 2025, the No-Fee Guarantee is discontinued.
What Hasn’t Changed
Don’t worry—shopping at Gwenchanda is still one of the smartest ways to buy K-beauty overseas:
✨ Fast shipping – Average of 2–3 days with FedEx Express
✨ Direct from Korea – 100% authentic products straight from Seoul
✨ Weekly new arrivals – Always fresh, always trendy
✨ Competitive prices – Even with US fees, we remain cheaper than many other shops
Final Thoughts
We know this isn’t the happiest update, but we believe in being transparent with you. These policy changes are out of our control, but we’ll keep doing everything we can to make shopping K-beauty from Korea smooth, fun, and affordable.
Thanks for being part of the Gwenchanda family 💕 Your trust means everything, and we’ll continue to adjust as the situation evolves. We will keep you posted on any further changes.
Stay beautiful,
Team Gwenchanda 🌸