TL;DR: The U.S. has officially ended its $800 duty-free threshold, meaning all imports from Japan are now taxed according to their product type and country of origin. Japan Post has suspended shipments to the U.S., but don't worry — we've partnered with FedEx and DHL to keep your ChokeSports orders moving quickly. Order as usual — we'll make sure your gear gets to you.
Updated on July 26, 2026
⚠ July 2026 Update — New Import Rules Now in Effect
As of July 24, 2026, the temporary 10% surcharge that has been in place since February 2026 has expired and been replaced by a new set of import duties. The good news for Japan-made products: the total import fee is now capped at 12.5% — lower than the 15–18% estimated earlier this year. We've updated this post in full below.
What Changed and When
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Aug 27, 2025 | Japan Post suspends all EMS, parcel, and small packet services to the U.S. ChokeSports moves exclusively to FedEx and DHL. |
| Aug 29, 2025 | U.S. eliminates the $800 duty-free exemption for all countries. Every shipment is now subject to import duties, regardless of order value. |
| Sep 4, 2025 | U.S. and Japan reach a trade agreement capping import duties on Japanese goods at a maximum of 15%, including all existing duties. |
| Feb 20, 2026 | U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the legal basis for the tariffs imposed under the September 2025 trade agreement. The 15% rate stops applying. |
| Feb 24, 2026 | A new temporary flat 10% surcharge takes effect on all imports from all countries while the U.S. government works on a longer-term solution. |
| May 7, 2026 | A federal trade court rules the temporary 10% surcharge unlawful, though it continued to be collected while the government appealed the decision. |
| Jul 24, 2026 | The temporary 10% surcharge expires. It is immediately replaced by a new set of import duties covering goods from 60 countries. For Japan-made products, the total import duty is now capped at 12.5%, honoring the U.S.–Japan trade agreement. These new duties have no scheduled expiration date. |
What Import Fee Will U.S. Customers Pay Right Now?
As of July 24, 2026, the total import fee on Japan-made products is capped at 12.5% of the declared value of your order. This cap applies to the combined total of the standard product duty rate plus the new import surcharge — you won't be charged more than 12.5% in total, regardless of product type.
This is actually lower than the 15–18% rates that were in place earlier in 2026, and it applies specifically to Japanese goods as part of the ongoing U.S.–Japan trade agreement. The new duties currently have no scheduled expiration date.
Estimated Import Fees on Popular ChokeSports Products
Below are our current estimates for three of our best-selling Japan-made product categories. All three now fall under the 12.5% combined cap.
Martial Arts Belts
| Product Code (HTS) | 6307.90.9891 |
| Estimated Import Fee | ~12.5% |
| Example: $50 belt | Approx. $6.25 in import fees |
| Example: $100 belt | Approx. $12.50 in import fees |
BJJ & Karate Gis (Cotton)
| Product Code (HTS) | 6203.22.1000 |
| Estimated Import Fee | ~12.5% |
| Example: $150 gi | Approx. $18.75 in import fees |
| Example: $250 gi | Approx. $31.25 in import fees |
MMA & Boxing Gloves (Leather)
| Product Code (HTS) | 4203.21.8060 |
| Estimated Import Fee | ~12.5% |
| Example: $80 gloves | Approx. $10.00 in import fees |
| Example: $200 gloves | Approx. $25.00 in import fees |
* Estimates are based on U.S. import duty data as of July 2026, sourced from the USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule. These figures do not include the carrier's customs processing fee (approximately 0.35% of the order value,
