Starting October 2, 2025, and for as long as the current U.S. import rules remain in place, we will unfortunately no longer be able to offer free shipping to the United States from our online store.
What changed?
Since the U.S. import rules were updated at the end of August, we’ve seen a large number of packages to the U.S. randomly rejected by customs (even though they fully complied with the new rules).
We’ve tried to get more information from customs and our carrier, but neither has been able to explain why some packages get through while others are rejected.
This situation has become unsustainable, as the number of rejected packages seems to be increasing. This means we’ve had to re-ship multiple orders, which leads to extremely high shipping costs and, for you, a frustrating experience because you don’t know when your order will actually arrive.
What happens now?
We’ve spoken with other European makers who are facing the same problem. From what we’ve seen, FedEx, UPS, and DHL don’t seem to be affected. For that reason, we’ve decided to stop using our current carrier and switch to UPS and DHL for US orders.
Shipping fees and import duties will now be calculated directly at checkout. This also means that as long as these rules remain in place, we won’t be able to offer free shipping to the U.S. We understand these additional costs may be prohibitive for smaller modules, so we encourage you to order from your local dealer whenever possible : https://blacknoisemodular.com/pages/dealers
Will free shipping to the U.S. return soon?
As long as the new import rules are in effect, it’s unlikely we’ll find a way to offer free shipping again.
Given the situation, the only viable solution is to expand our U.S. dealer network. We’re working on it, but it takes time, and we need your help!
Dealers also face challenges in this situation, and knowing that there are potential buyers for modules is the main reason for them to stock them. So if your local dealer doesn’t yet carry Black Noise modules, let them know you’d be interested and ask them to get in touch with us at contact@blacknoisemodular.com. 😉
It’s a tough time for all of us, but we’re lucky to have such an amazing community.
Together, we can get through this we just need to stick together and make some noise! 💪
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On August 29, 2025
Business as usual, we’re still shipping all orders to the US with free shipping. For now, we’re covering the extra shipping costs that come with these changes, and we’ll keep you updated if anything shifts with our carrier or US regulations.
Summary:
Until now, imports from the EU to the US were duty-free up to $800. That exemption was supposed to phase out gradually and fully end by mid-2027, when a 15% tax would apply from the very first dollar. On July 30, Trump announced that this tax would instead kick in on August 29, 2025.
Since the notice was so short, most carriers didn’t have time to adjust and had to temporarily suspend shipments to the US while figuring things out. We anticipated this as soon as the announcement came out on July 30 and worked with our carrier to make sure our shipments wouldn’t be interrupted after August 29.
For you, this means business as usual, except maybe a small delay in delivery times while everyone adapts to the new system. On our side, this change comes with a significant rise in shipping costs. For now, we’ve decided to absorb that extra cost, and we hope to keep it that way. But if costs keep climbing or if new import rules are introduced, we may have to end free US shipping or find another way to adapt.
So if you’re thinking about placing an order, now’s a good time to do it and avoid any possible extra fees later.
We’re also working on expanding our dealer network, especially in the US. Our modules just became available at Perfect Circuit, and you can find the full list of our retailers.