Are people receiving tariff-related invoices?
AUSTIN (KXAN) – Lauren Kirkpatrick said in recent weeks she has seen people on TikTok talking about getting tariff-related invoices after making international purchases.
That’s why, after buying a new pair of boots from France, Kirkpatrick wasn’t surprised to find such a letter in her mailbox from FedEx.
“I was like, ‘This is my moment.’ I’m getting my first tariff [bill],” she said.
Kirkpatrick shared the note with KXAN. The FedEx letter had a line item listing ‘Customs Duty’ for $106.60. It had all the correct purchase details and address information, so she wasn’t worried about it being fraudulent.
Both the Washington Post and Reuters have reported on similar seemingly tariff-related invoices. The Trump administration imposed a 10% tariff on imports from most countries and a 30% tax, down from 145%, on goods coming from China.
“Somebody has to pay the duty when [the item] is crossing the border,” said Olga Torres, a partner at Torres Trade Law, who specializes in international trade law.
Torres said in Kirkpatrick’s case, FedEx likely acted as the broker and paid the 10% tax.
“FedEx is now saying, ‘Okay, my role here is to import this product for someone. Who’s going to be paying me the 10% tax that I just paid?’” Torres said.
On its website, FedEx writes, “The responsibility of [the] tariff is agreed between a shipper and a recipient.” KXAN has reached out to FedEx and hasn’t yet received a response.
Torres said, as far as she knows, tariff invoices are uncommon, and that usually the extra cost would be included in the item’s price.
“It was expected that the duties would eventually flow down to the consumer in the U.S. What is interesting is that they’re labeling it as a separate line item,” Torres said. “Most countries in the world received a [tariff] of some sort. I think there’s soon going to be a change in terms of the consumer mentality.”
Vance Ginn of Ginn Economics said he thinks the “tariff bill” is an unintended consequence of the “universal” tariffs.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty, whether it be for families or businesses, and that’s still ongoing,” Ginn said. “Consumers end up paying a lot more for this. And I think that’s why we’re also seeing consumer sentiment reach historic lows right now.”
According to the University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers index, consumer sentiment is down 30% since the start of 2025.
“It’s one of the lowest that we’ve had on record,” Ginn said.
