The United States remains one of the most attractive markets for European companies. With its scale, purchasing power, and appetite for international products, it offers enormous growth opportunities. But in 2025, the rules of the game have changed. Tariffs and trade policy shifts are rewriting how European brands must think about selling to American customers, and the strategies that worked even a year ago are no longer sufficient.

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The Tariff Reality: More Complex Than Ever

For decades, European exporters could rely on relatively low import duties when shipping to the U.S. That changed dramatically with the wave of tariffs introduced in recent years. While a new trade agreement in July 2025 capped most European goods at a flat 15% tariff, this is still a significant cost increase compared to the past. For industries like steel, aluminum, and automobiles, the picture is even harsher - tariffs remain as high as 50%.

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Another shift has made life especially complicated for ecommerce: the removal of the $800 de minimis exemption. This once allowed small parcels to enter the U.S. duty-free, powering much of the cross-border D2C boom. Now, even low-value shipments are taxed, leaving many brands with higher costs, unhappy customers, or both.

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In short: U.S. market entry has become a much more expensive, regulated, and operationally demanding exercise. Brands that treat it as “business as usual” risk eroding their margins - or worse, losing consumer trust with surprise fees and delays.

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Navigating the New Reality

Despite the challenges, European companies are not without options. Some are investing in U.S. warehouses and third-party logistics providers, holding stock domestically to shorten shipping times and reduce customs friction. Others are turning to Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) models, absorbing import costs upfront to give American consumers pricing certainty. Larger companies are exploring foreign trade zones and tariff engineering, adjusting sourcing or classification to soften the impact of duties.

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These approaches can work, but they come with trade-offs. Warehousing requires heavy capital investment and carries inventory risk. DDP simplifies the customer journey but demands deep customs expertise. Tariff engineering can deliver savings, but it requires ongoing monitoring of regulations and a team capable of navigating them. For many brands, the challenge isn’t identifying a tactic-it’s managing the complexity of making them all work together.

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The Value of an Integrated Approach

This is where a unified solution becomes powerful. Rather than piecing together a patchwork of providers and hoping they align, brands can partner with experts who bring the entire process under one roof.

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eBrands, for example, acts as a merchant of record in the U.S. That means we don’t just handle one part of the journey - we manage sales channels, compliance, taxes, customs clearance, fulfillment, returns, and even customer service. By bringing all these components together, we create a frictionless experience for both brands and consumers.

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The real advantage is not only efficiency, but peace of mind. Tariffs may be here to stay, and regulations may continue to evolve. But with an integrated approach, European brands can focus on their products and growth strategies, confident that their U.S. operations are being handled by specialists who live and breathe this environment.

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Expert Insight

“At eBrands, we’ve built the systems and regulatory know-how to make U.S. market access seamless for European brands navigating today’s tariff-heavy landscape. From compliance and customs to tax and fulfillment, we ensure your business continues to scale-without missing a beat.”
- Antti Moilanen, Head of Partnerships, eBrands

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Final Word

The U.S. remains the world’s most important consumer market-but entering it in 2025 is not as simple as shipping a parcel overseas. Tariffs are higher, regulations are stricter, and consumers expect faster, more transparent delivery experiences than ever before.

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European brands now face a choice: piece together a complex network of logistics and compliance solutions, or work with a partner that unifies every step of the journey. The first path is possible, but the second is more efficient, more sustainable, and better positioned for long-term growth.

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With the right approach, the barriers created by tariffs can be managed-and the opportunities of the U.S. market can still be unlocked.