Questions our buyers ask

Your price covers the product, packing, export papers, freight, cargo insurance, US import duties and fees, customs clearance and delivery. You pay one agreed amount and receive the goods.

You don't deal with freight forwarders, customs brokers or duty bills. We do.

That's how we deliver in the US. In Canada it depends on the product, and in the Gulf we usually deliver to your door while your clearing agent handles import customs (DAP).

Since July 24, 2026, most goods from the EU pay 10% in total: the regular US duty, topped up by an additional tariff to reach 10%. If the regular duty is already 10% or more, only the regular duty applies. Most Swiss goods work the same way at 12.5%.

Some products are exempt, and others, such as steel and aluminum goods, follow different rules. Rates changed several times in 2025 and 2026, so we check the rate for your exact product when we quote, and it's included in your price.

No. The US suspended the $800 “de minimis” exemption for all countries on August 29, 2025. Every commercial shipment now needs a customs entry and pays duty. We handle that for you.

Yes, for most products: homes, offices, stores, restaurants, warehouses and 3PLs anywhere in the US or Canada. In the Gulf, we deliver to your company's address or warehouse once customs is cleared.

Wine and other alcohol can only be delivered to a licensed importer or distributor.

Wine must be imported by a business holding a federal importer's permit from the TTB, each label needs an approved COLA, the FDA must receive prior notice of each shipment, and state rules apply to sales.

We source and ship wine for licensed importers and distributors, and for retailers buying through one.

The United States, Canada and the six Gulf countries: the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. Each has its own duties, taxes and paperwork, which you can compare in our destination picker.

Shipping somewhere else? Ask us, and we check the rules before you commit.

Goods made in the EU enter mostly duty-free under the EU–Canada trade agreement (CETA), as long as the invoice carries a CETA statement on origin. A 5% GST is paid at the border, and the importer must be registered in the Canada Border Services Agency's CARM portal and use a customs broker.

Most food needs an importer holding a Safe Food for Canadians licence, labels must be in English and French, and alcohol for resale is imported only by the provincial liquor boards, such as the SAQ in Quebec or the LCBO in Ontario.

The six Gulf states share a common customs tariff: 5% for most goods. VAT at import is 5% in the UAE and Oman, 10% in Bahrain and 15% in Saudi Arabia. Qatar and Kuwait have no VAT.

Only a company licensed in the country can import, so we usually deliver to your door and your clearing agent handles customs (DAP). A duties-paid price is possible through a local importer-of-record service. Saudi Arabia also requires a SABER certificate for every shipment, Kuwait requires documents legalised by its embassy, and food and cosmetics need key label facts in Arabic. Alcohol and pork can't be imported into Saudi Arabia or Kuwait.

Yes. Since March 2026, container traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been heavily disrupted. Sea freight now goes through ports that are still open, such as Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Khor Fakkan and Fujairah in the UAE, and Sohar and Salalah in Oman, then by road or feeder ship, with surcharges.

Air freight is often the simpler option for smaller orders. We confirm the route, cost and timing in your quote.

The maker's facility must be registered with the FDA, the FDA must receive prior notice of every shipment, and labels must follow US rules: Nutrition Facts, allergens and net weight in US and metric units.

The FDA also requires a US-based importer to run a Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP). That's usually you, as the buyer. We collect the supplier documents you need for it.

True soap made from fats and lye, sold only for cleaning, is regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, not the FDA. Soaps and creams that claim to moisturize or treat the skin are cosmetics: the facility must be registered with the FDA, the product listed, and the label must name a US contact.

We check where your product falls before you order.

It depends on the maker. Many European workshops accept first orders of a few thousand dollars, and some go lower. Tell us your quantity and target price, and we'll tell you honestly whether it's realistic before you pay anything.

Supplier Shortlist: 7 business days. Samples: 1 to 2 weeks. Production: usually 2 to 6 weeks. Ocean freight to the US: 3 to 5 weeks door to door; to Canada: 3 to 6 weeks. Air freight: about a week. To the Gulf, sea freight times vary in 2026, so we confirm them in your quote.

Yes. We collect samples from the makers you like and send them to you in one box. You pay only the samples and the express shipping, at cost.

Yes. We arrange private label production: your label and packaging, made and packed by the maker in Europe, with the label checked against the rules of your destination. There's no extra fee on managed orders; a label designed from scratch is quoted upfront. Minimum quantities are usually higher for custom work, and we tell you upfront.

Your quote is free. For managed orders, makers usually ask for a deposit when you order (often 30 to 50%) and the balance before shipping, which you pay only after you approve our inspection report. Our fee always appears on its own line. The optional Supplier Shortlist ($190) is paid by card and credited to your first order.

Managed shipments travel with cargo insurance. Send us photos as soon as you unpack, and we handle the claim with the carrier and the insurer.

Elenatis is a French company, ELENATIS SAS, registered in Montpellier (RCS 993 070 218, EU VAT FR02993070218) and based near the city. You deal with the same English-speaking contact from your first message to delivery.