A 20 kg box measuring 75 x 40 x 40 cm is billed by DHL Express as 24 kg. Four of those kilos never touched the scale. Anyone planning how to ship internationally meets that gap first.
The quote follows the larger of two weights
DHL Express works out two weights, for each shipment, actual and volumetric, and charges for the higher. Volumetric weight is length x width x height in centimetres, divided by 5,000, and the result is in kilograms. The 75 x 40 x 40 cm box works out at 120,000 / 5,000 = 24 kg, so 24 kg is billed against 20 kg on the scale. DHL’s Singapore guide uses a 50 x 40 x 30 cm box, which comes to 12 kg volumetric.
DHL uses the volumetric figure for large shipments that are light for their size. A smaller carton shrinks it, so measure the packed box before asking for a price. The 5,000 is DHL Express’s own divisor, and another carrier’s page may give a different one. A shipper whose cargo has outgrown parcels can start from the ocean freight spot rates listed carrier by carrier.
Duties decide who waits at the border
On 29 August 2025 the United States removed its duty-free threshold of $800 under an executive order titled “Suspending Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Countries.” The Universal Postal Union described the measure as one that requires carriers or other qualified parties to collect duties from senders in advance and remit them to US Customs and Border Protection. By 26 August, postal operators of 25 member countries had stopped sending postal items to the US.
Germany makes the point. After 22 August, Deutsche Post and DHL Parcel Germany stopped accepting goods parcels from business customers bound for the US. Key questions stayed open: how and by whom duties would be collected, what additional data was required, and how it would reach CBP. Shipping with DHL Express remained possible. There DHL acts as customs agent in the US, and the duties follow the Incoterm that sender and recipient agreed.
DHL’s postal route from Germany returned for business customers on 25 September, after four weeks. They then had to book the Postal Delivered Duty Paid service for shipments up to $800 and supply complete and accurate customs data. DHL had offered that product before only for Norway, the UK and Switzerland. FreightWaves reported that Malta’s post, from Friday 22 August, accepted goods for the US only when insured for their full value.
The suspension is still in place. CBP’s rules of 24 June 2026 suspend duty-free treatment indefinitely and apply to every mode of entry. Anyone deciding how to ship internationally to the US therefore needs two things in writing before pickup: who pays the duty, and who files the customs data.
Insurance covers less than the box may be worth
On USPS, Priority Mail International shipments with merchandise are insured up to $200 at no additional charge, and document shipments up to $100 for reconstruction. USPS points readers to the International Mail Manual for the insurance details of the service they use.
Frequently asked questions
Can a private person still send a gift to the US without duties?
DHL said in August 2025 that individual-to-individual parcels worth up to $100 and declared as gifts were not affected by the executive order, though they would face stricter controls. Goods for sale do not qualify.
Could documents still go to the US while goods parcels were suspended?
In several countries, yes. DHL Germany kept accepting documents, and Czech Post still took documents and $100 gifts, but only with a postal customs declaration showing the contents and their actual value in US dollars.
Does Priority Mail Express International carry the same insurance?
USPS says Priority Mail Express International includes insurance for document reconstruction up to $100 and for merchandise up to $200 against loss, damage, or missing contents. Additional coverage for merchandise may be available.