Two US lines, priced in dollars
Asking HooBuy's estimator for the USA on 26 October 2026, with weights but no dimensions, returned two lines: "Us direct line small packet-f" and "-d". Both are tagged Volumetric, Tax Free and Insurance Available. Dollars follow HooBuy's own rate of ¥6.04.
| Line | Half kilo | One kilo | Two kilos | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Us direct line small packet-f | $13.52 (¥81.65) | $27.04 (¥163.30) | $54.07 (¥326.60) | 9-15 |
| Us direct line small packet-d | $14.38 (¥86.85) | $28.76 (¥173.70) | $57.52 (¥347.40) | 9-15 |
The f line is cheaper by ¥10.40 at 1,000 g, and both list 9-15 days. At 1,000 g the US f line costs ¥65.10 more than DHL europe package-f1 to Germany, about 1.66 times as much. Quotes scale straight with weight.
Plan on about US$27 a kilogram on the cheaper line, before any duty.
29 August 2025: the date the $800 exemption ended
The $800 duty-free threshold stopped applying from 2 May 2025 to goods from China or Hong Kong, and from 29 August 2025 to every origin, as a CBP notice dated 28 August 2025 records. Being small or cheap no longer makes a parcel duty-free. HooBuy's help article still lists "800 USD" for the United States, which is outdated and undated. Our HooBuy customs page compares its table with the rules in force for other destinations.
Ignore any guide that says US parcels under $800 are duty-free.
What duty means for a US parcel now
With the exemption gone, duty can apply to a cheap parcel as much as a dear one. We hold no US duty rate for specific goods. HooBuy's table lists a tariff range of 0 to 37.5%, an average of 5.63% and electronics as duty-free, but it is undated, we could not verify it, and it may be outdated. We also do not know who collects duty on HooBuy's lines: the "Tax Free" tag is not explained.
| Duty rate | Duty on goods | Landed in dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | $0.00 | $78.36 |
| 5.63% (HooBuy table average) | $2.89 | $81.25 |
| 37.5% (top of HooBuy table range) | $19.25 | $97.61 |
Treat duty as unknown and keep room for it in the budget.
Example item price: ¥310 on packet-f, 1,000 g
Example price; we applied the rates to the item alone, because whether freight counts toward customs value is not in our notes.
Goods: ¥310 / 6.04 = $51.32. Freight: ¥163.30 / 6.04 = $27.04.
Before duty: 51.32 + 27.04 = $78.36.
Duty at HooBuy's 5.63% average: 51.32 x 0.0563 = $2.89, so the total is $81.25.
The freight is 34.51% of the pre-duty cost, so line choice matters more here than duty at the average rate. China domestic shipping and HooBuy's declaration fee are left out; see HooBuy fees.
Expect about $78.36 before duty and $81.25 at the average rate.
Days to the USA: 9-15 listed, 45% shown inside a week
HooBuy lists 9-15 days for both US lines. Its chart for packet-f gives 45.47% of parcels in 0-7 days, 48.09% in 8-15 and 6.44% in 16-25, and packet-d reads 46.03%, 47.67% and 6.30%. That chart is HooBuy's statistic, unverified, with nothing beyond 25 days. Warehouse and purchase days come first; see HooBuy shipping time.
Nine days is the optimistic end; plan on 15 or more.
Volume: a 30 x 20 x 10 cm packet
A "small packet" line still bills the greater of actual and volumetric weight. Our box holds 6,000 cm³, which is 1.00 kg on the estimator's 6,000, 1.20 kg on 5,000 and 0.75 kg on 8,000. At 0.8 kg actual, packet-f charges ¥130.64 ($21.63) by weight, ¥163.30 ($27.04) at 6,000 and ¥195.96 ($32.44) at 5,000, scaled linearly. At 8,000 the actual weight still wins. Size limits for these lines are not published; try the HooBuy shipping calculator.
A light box can bill as 1.2 kg, so measure it.
Hold, and when to move the row
Our status page labels HooBuy Hold. The estimator answered on 26 October 2026, yet Trustpilot reviewers writing between June and September 2026 describe orders stuck at "Purchased". For a US address, pay per order, leave the HooBuy wallet empty and price the same weight elsewhere through HooBuy alternatives. Or pass the row to us on the contact page.
Start with one small parcel to the USA.
What HooBuy buyers ask
How much does HooBuy shipping to the USA cost per kilogram?
HooBuy's estimator quoted ¥163.30 ($27.04 at HooBuy's rate of ¥6.04) for 1,000 g on Us direct line small packet-f on 26 October 2026, and ¥173.70 ($28.76) on packet-d. A 2,000 g parcel on packet-f was ¥326.60 ($54.07). Doubling the weight doubled the price. The quotes exclude duty and any volumetric weight, so a bulky box can cost more.
Is a US parcel from HooBuy still duty-free under $800?
No. A CBP notice dated 28 August 2025 dates the end of the $800 de minimis exemption to 2 May 2025 for Chinese and Hong Kong goods and to 29 August 2025 for every country. HooBuy's help article still lists 800 USD, which is outdated, so duty can now apply to a small parcel.
How much duty will I pay on a HooBuy parcel to the USA?
We cannot give a rate, because our notes hold none for specific goods. HooBuy's undated table lists a range of 0 to 37.5% and an average of 5.63%, which we could not verify. On a ¥310 example item ($51.32), the average rate would be $2.89, and the top rate $19.25.
What does Tax Free mean on HooBuy's US lines?
HooBuy tags both US lines Tax Free but does not explain the tag, and its help centre does not say who pays duty at the US border. Since the de minimis exemption ended in 2025, we would not read it as no duty due. Ask HooBuy support in writing whether duty is prepaid before you submit the parcel.
How long does a HooBuy parcel take to reach the USA?
HooBuy lists 9-15 days for packet-f and packet-d. Its own chart gives packet-f 45.47% of parcels in 0-7 days, 48.09% in 8-15 and 6.44% in 16-25. That is HooBuy's statistic and we did not verify it. HooBuy does not say whether it counts the days your order spends being bought and reaching its Xiamen warehouse.
Why did my US box cost more than its weight suggested?
Both US lines are tagged Volumetric, so HooBuy bills the greater of actual and volumetric weight. A 30 x 20 x 10 cm box is 1.00 kg at a divisor of 6,000, so at 0.8 kg actual packet-f bills about ¥163.30 instead of ¥130.64. The help centre allows divisors from 5,000 to 8,000 by carrier.