Import tax from Greece to the USA generally runs at least 15 percent of the goods’ value, because most Greek products now carry a reciprocal tariff on top of the standard Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) duty that brings the combined rate up to that floor. Federal processing fees add a bit more. Shipments worth $800 or less usually enter duty-free.
What You Actually Pay in Duty
Two layers of duty apply to almost every commercial shipment from Greece.
The first is the standard HTS rate. Every product has a ten-digit HTS code that assigns it a specific duty rate.1Harmonized Tariff Schedule. Harmonized Tariff Schedule Some rates are ad valorem (a percentage of what you paid), others are specific (cents per kilogram or per liter). Greek olive oil, for example, is taxed by weight rather than value. Because Greece is an EU and WTO member, its goods qualify for the Column 1 general rates the US applies to normal trading partners.2U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Column 1 / Column 2 / MFN / NTR – Countries That Does Business With the United States
The second layer is the reciprocal tariff. Under a framework agreement reached in August 2025 between the United States and the European Union, most Greek goods face a combined duty floor of 15 percent.3The White House. Joint Statement on a United States-European Union Framework on an Agreement on Reciprocal Fair and Balanced Trade If a product’s Column 1 rate is below 15 percent, a reciprocal tariff fills the gap. If the Column 1 rate already meets or exceeds 15 percent, nothing extra is added.4The White House. Further Modifying the Reciprocal Tariff Rates
So Greek textiles with an 8 percent HTS rate pick up 7 percent more to reach 15. Greek cheese that already carries a rate above 15 percent picks up nothing. A few categories sit outside the reciprocal tariff and pay only the Column 1 rate: unavailable natural resources such as cork, aircraft and aircraft parts, and generic pharmaceuticals.3The White House. Joint Statement on a United States-European Union Framework on an Agreement on Reciprocal Fair and Balanced Trade Rates have shifted more than once during 2025, so check the current HTS and any active executive orders before you ship.
Federal Processing Fees on Top of Duty
Two fees apply to most commercial shipments regardless of whether the goods themselves owe duty.
The Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) for fiscal year 2026 is 0.3464 percent of the goods’ value, excluding duty, freight, and insurance. The minimum per entry is $33.58 and the maximum is $651.50. Manual filings add a $4.03 surcharge.5U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Customs User Fee – Merchandise Processing Fees
The Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF) is 0.125 percent of cargo value and applies only to ocean shipments arriving at ports that have received federal maintenance funding since 1977, which covers essentially every major US port. Air freight is exempt.6eCFR. 19 CFR 24.24 – Harbor Maintenance Fee
When You Owe No Duty
Shipments of $800 or Less
Under Section 321 of the Tariff Act of 1930, a shipment with a fair retail value of $800 or less clears as a de minimis entry with no duties or import taxes owed.7U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Section 321 Programs The limit is per person, per day. A small order of Greek saffron, ceramics, or spice blends usually falls inside it.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 19 US Code 1321 – Administrative Exemptions
Bringing Purchases Back in Your Luggage
If you visited Greece and are carrying purchases home, a separate personal exemption of up to $800 in goods applies to most returning US residents. That allowance can include up to two liters of alcoholic beverages.9U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Types of Exemptions Keep the receipts. They are your proof at the border.
Informal Entry Up to $2,500
Commercial shipments valued at $2,500 or less may qualify for informal entry, a lighter-paperwork route that skips the customs bond requirement. Duty is still owed on anything not covered by an exemption, but the filing burden is much smaller.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 19 US Code 1498 – Entry Under Regulations
Food, Wine, and Spirits Have Extra Rules
Greece’s best-known exports run straight into two additional agencies.
Any food imported for human or animal consumption needs prior notice filed with the FDA before arrival: at least eight hours ahead for ocean shipments, four hours for air freight.11eCFR. Requirements To Submit Prior Notice of Imported Food Prior notice goes through the Automated Broker Interface or the FDA’s own Prior Notice System Interface.12Food and Drug Administration. Filing Prior Notice of Imported Foods Skip it and your olive oil, feta, or honey gets refused at the port.
Anyone importing wine, distilled spirits, or malt beverages as a business needs a Federal Basic Importer’s Permit from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), obtained before any shipment leaves Greece.13Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Importing Bottled Alcohol Beverages Into the United States Federal excise taxes apply on top of import duties, and labels must meet TTB standards.
Paperwork for Commercial Shipments
A formal entry rests on the commercial invoice. Federal regulations require it in English (or with an accurate English translation) and demand a detailed description of the goods along with the purchase price in the transaction currency.14eCFR. 19 CFR 141.86 – Contents of Invoices and General Requirements Foreign currency amounts must be converted to US dollars on the entry documents.15U.S. Customs and Border Protection. What Value Should Be on the Commercial Invoice Submitted to U.S. Customs and Border Protection? The value you report is the price you actually paid the seller, excluding international freight and insurance.16Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 19 US Code 1401a – Value
You also need a packing list, a transport document (bill of lading for ocean, air waybill for air), CBP Form 3461 for immediate release, and CBP Form 7501 as the entry summary.17Homeland Security. Find Import/Export Forms Both forms require an Importer of Record number, which is your Social Security Number if you’re importing as an individual or your Employer Identification Number if you’re a business.18U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CBP Form 3461 – Entry/Immediate Delivery
Formal entries also require a customs bond. A single entry bond covers one shipment and must be at least the entered value plus duties, taxes, and fees. A continuous bond covers a full 12 months of imports and is typically 10 percent of the duties, taxes, and fees paid in the prior year, with a $100 minimum.19U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Bonds – How Are Continuous and Single Entry Bond Amounts Determined? For shipments under $2,500, the port director may waive the bond if you file entry documents and deposit estimated duties before release.20eCFR. 19 CFR 142.4 – Bond Requirements
Paying CBP and Fixing Mistakes
Duty is due within 10 working days of the goods entering the country. Payment through the Automated Clearinghouse (ACH) is preferred; physical checks are accepted in some situations.21eCFR. 19 CFR 24.25 – Statement Processing and Automated Clearinghouse
Errors in classification, valuation, or documentation carry real penalties under 19 U.S.C. 1592.22Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 19 US Code 1592 – Penalties for Fraud, Gross Negligence, and Negligence Intentional fraud can cost up to the full domestic value of the merchandise. Gross negligence can cost up to four times the lost duties, or 40 percent of dutiable value where no duty was lost. Ordinary negligence can cost up to two times the lost duties, or 20 percent of dutiable value.
There is a safety valve. If you find an error yourself and disclose it before CBP starts investigating, the maximum fraud penalty drops to 100 percent of the unpaid duties, and you have 30 days from the disclosure to pay what you owe. Simple typos are not treated as violations unless they form a pattern.22Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 19 US Code 1592 – Penalties for Fraud, Gross Negligence, and Negligence
For anything with meaningful commercial value, hiring a licensed customs broker to handle classification and filings is usually cheaper than fixing a mistake later.