Shipping Information for U.S. Customers

Thank you for your interest in our patterns and for your patience while we adapt to the new U.S. import regulations.
These are challenging times for small international businesses like ours, and we truly appreciate your understanding.

1. What has changed

Since August 2025, the United States no longer applies the de minimis rule for imported goods.
This means that every parcel — even very small ones — now requires a full electronic customs declaration.
As a result, DHL has changed its shipping system and now only offers a “PDDP” (Postal Delivered Duty Paid) service for parcels to the U.S.

2. Current shipping option and costs

At the moment, the only available shipping option for U.S. orders is DHL’s international PDDP parcel service, which costs 45 EUR per shipment.
This rate applies to parcels up to 5 kg (≈ 11 lb).

If you wish, you can add more items to your order — either for yourself or for others — to make the shipment more cost-effective.

3. Possible additional fees

Although our paper sewing patterns are duty-free according to the current U.S. tariff code (HS 4911.99.0000),
there may still be minor customs or handling fees charged by DHL or U.S. postal services after import.
These should be very small (roughly estimated at 0–5 EUR / USD) and are invoiced to us by DHL about ten days after shipment.

We kindly ask for your understanding that, should such fees occur, we will contact you to reimburse the exact amount charged to us.
These costs are not set by us, but are official fees imposed by U.S. customs and postal authorities, including processing charges from DHL and USPS.

At this stage, no reliable real-world data is available yet, as these new import regulations are very recent.

4. Digital options for Nehelenia Patterns designs

For our own Nehelenia Patterns pattern designs, digital solutions may be available upon request — for example, downloadable PDF versions including the full-size pattern sheet and instructions.

If you are interested in a digital version of a specific pattern, please contact us directly before ordering.
However, we would be deeply grateful if you could accept the printed version whenever possible —
as this helps us keep our small pattern workshop running during this period of international adjustment.

5. Other goods (accessories, fabrics, trims, etc.)

If your order includes other items such as hats, scarves, stockings, fabrics, or sewing supplies, etc.
these products may be subject to U.S. import duties under different tariff codes.

In such cases, the applicable customs duties and processing fees are determined by U.S. Customs, not by us.
DHL will prepay these fees on your behalf as part of the PDDP process and will later invoice them to us.
We will then pass on the exact amount charged to us — without any additional surcharge.

Because tariff classifications and rates vary depending on material and product type,
we unfortunately cannot predict the exact cost in advance.
We recommend checking with your local U.S. customs office if you wish to estimate possible import duties for specific products.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support — it means a lot to us!

Stefanie on behalf of the Nehelenia Team