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What it costs to import from the US to the

Forwarder fees, shipping, customs duty and VAT for a phone, compared across 6 US package forwarders. Cheapest estimated total first.

Duty
Above PHP 10,000: 0% on electronics, 15% on clothing and shoes, 7% on cosmetics and most supplements.
VAT
VAT 12% on the landed cost above PHP 10,000: the price, shipping, insurance, duty and customs charges.
Duty-free limit
No duty or VAT on goods worth PHP 10,000 or less (about $159), but customs charges 2.5% of the value when a courier or forwarder clears them.
Batteries
Used devices with lithium batteries cannot go by USPS, so expect DHL, FedEx or UPS.

Checked October 2026

Show totals in
$600 phone to the Philippines, 0.3 kg (0.6 lb) Estimated totals include the item, US sales tax, forwarder fees, shipping, duty and VAT.
# Forwarder Courier Fees + sales tax Shipping Duty + taxes Total Link
1 MyUS Fedex Intl Connect10-20 days · From a quote ₱0 ₱1,104 ₱5,531 Shipping ₱1,104 · Fees and sales tax ₱0 · Duty and taxes ₱5,531 ₱44,288$706 Visit
Florida charges 7% sales tax in Sarasota, but this address is on the state list of certified forwarding agents, so sellers that apply the list do not charge it. A seller that ignores the list will charge 7%. Premium membership is free for 30 days, then $9.99 a month. This estimate assumes the free month.
2 Forwardme Aramex8-15 days · From a quote ₱0 ₱1,750 ₱5,608 Shipping ₱1,750 · Fees and sales tax ₱0 · Duty and taxes ₱5,608 ₱45,011+₱723 Visit
No sales tax in Delaware. Free membership and free package processing. Consolidation is $3.25 per package on the free plan; Premium, $9.50 a month, promises lower shipping rates.
3 Ship To Box DHL Express2-4 days · From a quote ₱1,067 ₱2,259 ₱5,669 Shipping ₱2,259 · Fees and sales tax ₱1,067 · Duty and taxes ₱5,669 ₱46,648+₱2,360 Visit
No sales tax in Delaware. Free standard membership, $2 receiving fee per box, plus a $15 lithium battery fee on devices. Free consolidation.
4 Planet Express DHL Express Worldwide1-6 days · From a quote ₱126 ₱4,720 ₱5,965 Shipping ₱4,720 · Fees and sales tax ₱126 · Duty and taxes ₱5,965 ₱48,463+₱4,175 Visit
No sales tax in Oregon. Planet Express also has a tax-free address in Fort Pierce, FL and one in Torrance, CA, where sales tax applies. Free mailbox, $2 mail-out fee per package. Consolidation needs Premium, $10 a month.
5 Stackry DHL Worldwide Express2-5 days · From a quote ₱910 ₱4,265 ₱5,910 Shipping ₱4,265 · Fees and sales tax ₱910 · Duty and taxes ₱5,910 ₱48,738+₱4,450 Visit
No sales tax in New Hampshire. No membership, $2 receiving fee per package, plus a $12.50 hazmat fee on phones and smartwatches. Consolidation is $3 per package.
6 Shipito DHL Express2-4 days · From a quote ₱769 ₱6,723 ₱6,205 Shipping ₱6,723 · Fees and sales tax ₱769 · Duty and taxes ₱6,205 ₱51,350+₱7,061 Visit
No sales tax in Oregon. Oregon is the default address for Premium members; free accounts default to Torrance, CA, where sales tax applies. Premium membership, $10 a month, for the tax-free Oregon address, plus a $2.25 processing fee per package.

Shipping comes from each forwarder's own calculator, quoted at 1 lb and 5 lb and interpolated in between, so it is an estimate, not a live price. Check the forwarder's calculator before you buy. Devices with lithium batteries only go by services that accept them, usually DHL, FedEx or UPS, so most postal and budget services are left out.

Buying a refurbished iPhone? Compare prices from US sellers

Before you buy a phone in the US

  • iPhone 14 and later models sold in the US have no SIM tray and work only with eSIM. Check that your carrier offers eSIM, or pick an iPhone 13 or earlier, which takes both.
  • Pick an unlocked phone. One locked to a US carrier will not work with your local SIM or eSIM.
  • Any charger in the box has a US plug, which fits most sockets in the Philippines.
  • The warranty and returns are the US seller's. The return window starts when the parcel reaches your forwarder's US address, and a repair or return means paying to ship it back to the US.

How the Philippines taxes this phone

Duty and taxes for the cheapest option above, in the order customs applies them.

Charge Rate Amount
Customs duty ₱0
Processing charge and stamps ₱630
VAT 12% ₱4,901
Total duty and taxes ₱5,531

Importing to the Philippines: common questions

What is the duty-free limit for the Philippines?

Goods worth PHP 10,000 or less, FOB, pay no duty or VAT (CMTA Section 423). When a courier or forwarder clears them, customs still charges an import processing charge: PHP 50 up to PHP 2,000, then 2.5% of the value.

What do I pay above PHP 10,000?

Duty by product, PHP 130 in stamps and an import processing charge of PHP 250 to 750 by value, then 12% VAT on the landed cost. Customs builds that from the price, shipping, insurance (2% of the price when none is declared), duty, those charges and a PHP 700 brokerage fee on courier parcels. Phones, laptops and headphones have 0% duty.

Will the courier add its own fees?

Often. In mid-2024 PortCalls reported that DHL charged PHP 430 on shipments with a dutiable value up to PHP 10,000. This estimate does not include courier fees.

Which forwarder is cheapest to the Philippines?

For a $600 phone weighing 0.3 kg (0.6 lb), MyUS comes out cheapest in our estimate at $706 delivered, using Fedex Intl Connect. The order changes with weight and item type, and shipping prices are estimates, so check the forwarder's calculator before you buy.

Can I use a forwarder to buy from Apple's online store?

No. Apple's US online store ships only to US addresses and cancels orders sent to freight forwarder addresses. Retailers such as Amazon, Back Market or eBay sellers are the usual route, and their return and warranty terms can change once a parcel leaves the US.

The same phone, shipped elsewhere

Cheapest estimated total for a $600 phone in each country we cover. Each country has its own page.

Sources

Rules checked in October 2026. Exchange rates from 1 Oct 2026, Rates By Exchange Rate API. RefurbMe has no referral deals with these forwarders; the order is always the cheapest estimated total.