Importing Japanese Knives: US, Canada & Australia
For importing a Japanese knife, these three countries could not be more different. Canada and Australia are cheap and predictable. The United States overhauled its import rules in 2025, and a knife shipped from Japan now attracts substantial and shifting charges. This guide covers each in turn. US rules in particular have changed repeatedly, so treat the figures as indicative and confirm the current position with the relevant customs authority before ordering.
United States
Is it legal? Yes. Plain fixed-blade kitchen knives are not restricted imports. Switchblades and automatic knives are restricted under federal and state law, but that does not describe a santoku, gyuto, or any other kitchen knife.
The 2025 change. The United States suspended its duty-free de minimis treatment on 29 August 2025. Previously, shipments valued at USD 800 or less entered without duty. Now every import is assessed, regardless of value, so there is no longer a threshold below which a knife arrives charge-free.
What you pay. Kitchen knives fall under a tariff heading with a base duty of around 6 per cent. On top of that, knives are treated as steel articles and have been subject to an additional tariff of around 25 per cent under Section 232, for a combined rate in the region of 30 per cent or more. Other tariffs have stacked on and off through 2025 and 2026. There is no trade-agreement relief for Japanese knives entering the US, unlike the UK, EU, and Canada.
How ordering works now. Some Japanese retailers have paused shipping to the US, or now ship only on a delivered-duty-paid basis where the tariff is charged at checkout. Others still ship without it, leaving you to pay the courier on arrival. A US-based retailer that imported the knife in bulk has already absorbed the tariff into its shelf price, which is usually the cheaper and simpler path. Our best Japanese knives for beginners picks are all available from retailers that ship within the US.
Canada
Is it legal? Yes for fixed-blade, single-edged kitchen knives. Canada prohibits automatic knives, gravity knives, butterfly knives, and certain others, none of which is a kitchen knife.
Customs duty. A knife that is made in Japan enters Canada duty-free at any value, because Canada and Japan are both parties to the CPTPP trade agreement. The shipment needs to be declared as Japanese origin, which any established retailer handles.
Tax. You pay 5 per cent federal GST, plus provincial sales tax (PST or HST) in most provinces, calculated on the value of the goods. On a lower-value parcel this may be collected by the seller; otherwise the courier collects it on arrival with a small handling fee. Canada’s duty-free threshold for postal imports is low, around CAD 20, but since the duty on a Japanese knife is zero anyway, in practice you are paying sales tax plus a modest carrier fee.
In short: a Japanese knife lands in Canada for its price plus shipping, plus about 12 to 15 per cent in combined sales tax, plus a small fee. Simple.
Australia
Is it legal? Yes. A fixed-blade, single-edged kitchen knife needs no permit to import. Australia does control a list of weapons that require police certification (a B709 form) or cannot be imported at all: daggers and double-edged blades, flick knives, butterfly knives, push daggers, throwing knives and star knives, and disguised knives. A Japanese kitchen knife is none of these.
Customs duty. Orders valued under AUD 1,000 pay no customs duty. Above that, a duty of around 5 per cent may apply, though Australia’s trade agreement with Japan can reduce or remove it for Japanese-origin goods.
GST. Goods and Services Tax of 10 per cent applies, calculated on the goods plus shipping plus insurance plus any duty. For orders under AUD 1,000, most overseas retailers that sell into Australia are registered to collect the GST at checkout, so the parcel arrives with nothing to pay. For orders over AUD 1,000, the GST and any duty are collected on import, along with a processing charge.
In short: for the typical single-knife order under AUD 1,000, you pay the price plus shipping plus 10 per cent GST, usually all at checkout, and nothing on arrival.
Buying locally instead
All three countries have specialist retailers that stock Japanese knives. For Canada and Australia the saving from buying direct is small once tax is added. For the United States, after the 2025 changes, buying from a US-based retailer is now clearly the cheaper and simpler option for most people, and our best Japanese knives for beginners picks are chosen partly for being available without a difficult import.
Frequently asked questions
Can you import kitchen knives to the USA?
Yes. Plain fixed-blade kitchen knives are legal to import. Since August 2025, though, every shipment is assessed for duty regardless of value, and the combined rate on knives has been around 30 per cent or more. Get a landed-cost quote before ordering from abroad.
Why are Japanese knives so expensive to import to the US now?
Two reasons. The USD 800 de minimis exemption that let low-value parcels in duty-free ended in August 2025, so there is no longer a charge-free threshold. And knives are treated as steel articles, adding a Section 232 tariff of around 25 per cent on top of the base duty. There is no trade-agreement relief for Japanese knives entering the US.
Do I pay duty on a Japanese knife in Canada?
No. A knife made in Japan enters Canada duty-free at any value under the CPTPP trade agreement, as long as it is declared as Japanese origin. You still pay 5 per cent GST plus provincial sales tax, and a small carrier fee.
Is there GST on knives imported to Australia?
Yes, 10 per cent, on the goods plus shipping. For orders under AUD 1,000 it is usually collected by the retailer at checkout. Orders under AUD 1,000 also pay no customs duty; above that, duty and GST are collected on import with a processing charge.
The short version
Canada and Australia are easy: a Japanese knife lands for its price plus shipping plus about 10 to 15 per cent in local tax, with no duty on a Japanese-made blade or on a sub-AUD-1,000 Australian order, and the tax is often collected at checkout. The United States is now hard: the de minimis exemption is gone, knife imports face roughly 30 per cent or more in combined tariffs, and the figures keep moving, so a US buyer is usually better off buying domestically. Always confirm the current rules with your customs authority, and see our main guide to importing Japanese knives for the framework.