Ordering from the US makes sense when the brand or form you need is not sold by EU sellers and you are fine with paying VAT on import and needing an import declaration. For everyday vitamins and minerals you take for months, it is simpler to buy EU-made products from an EU seller: no customs, EU rules and a 14-day right of withdrawal.
Stivits is an online shop selling supplements under its own brand, made in the EU. We do not sell US brands, so we cover both options here: what ordering from the US gives you, what it costs you and when it really suits you.
The main difference is not the vitamins themselves but how the parcel crosses the border and which rules the jar was put on the market under. An order from the US goes through import clearance, and VAT is charged on import. A supplement shipped from an EU country travels with no declaration. The ingredient rules and returns differ too.
| What we compare | Order from a US website | Made in the EU, EU seller (Stivits) |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes and customs on import | VAT on every imported item since 1 July 2021, an import declaration for every parcel whatever its value | No customs and no import VAT when shipped from one EU country to another |
| Delivery time | Depends on the seller and on customs clearance | Dispatch by the next working day; parcel locker in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania 1–2 working days, other countries 3–5 working days |
| Ingredient and label rules | US rules; the ingredients and wording may not meet EU rules | In the EU the label must comply with Directive 2002/46/EC, health claims only from the EU register |
| How a product reaches the market | The FDA does not approve supplements or check labels before they reach the market; the manufacturer is responsible for safety | A novel ingredient is sold only after EU authorisation |
| Returns | The seller sets the terms; the return parcel goes through customs | 14 days to withdraw from the purchase; the buyer pays for return shipping |
| Choice of brands | Can be wider | Only Stivits' own 105 products |
In the EU a supplement reaches the market under common rules: what goes on the label, which health claims can be made and which ingredients are allowed. In the US the FDA does not approve supplements before sale and does not check labels in advance; the manufacturer is responsible for safety. Because the rules differ, a US jar may not meet EU rules.
Ordering from the US makes sense when you need a specific brand, form or combination that EU sellers do not offer. US shops sometimes have a wider choice of brands and forms. If you have taken a particular product for a long time and know its ingredients, switching to another one may be inconvenient.
Check three things before you order. Are all the ingredients allowed in the EU? A novel ingredient is sold here only after authorisation. What are the seller's return terms? Outside the EU the seller sets them. What happens on import? VAT is charged on every imported item and import rules change, so check them on the day you order.
What you have to accept: VAT and an import declaration for every parcel, return terms at the seller's discretion with the return parcel going through customs, and ingredients and wording on the jar that may not meet EU rules.
EU-made products are more convenient when you take everyday vitamins and minerals for months and want them without customs. A parcel from one EU country to another travels with no declaration and no import VAT, EU rules apply to the ingredients and label, and you have 14 days to withdraw from the purchase.
The second case: you want to see the wording the EU requires on the label: the daily serving, the amount of each substance per serving and a warning not to exceed the recommended daily dose. At Stivits, the ingredients and the dose per serving are also on every product page.
What you have to accept: a smaller choice. Stivits sells only its own 105 products, the minimum order is €15 (65 zł in Poland, 375 Kč in Czechia), you pay for return shipping if you withdraw, and doses may differ from US ones.
Stivits is a brand of the Estonian company HYPERPHARM OÜ, based in Tallinn. The supplements are made in the EU at a factory certified to GMP, HACCP and ISO 22000:2018, and we sell them ourselves, with no wholesalers or pharmacies in between. Orders leave our warehouses in Riga and Tallinn by the next working day for 14 EU countries.
We do not sell other brands. If the product you need is not in our catalog, you will have to look for it from other sellers, including US ones. More about production is on our About page.
Since 1 July 2021 the EU has abolished the VAT exemption for low-value parcels from outside the EU: VAT is charged on every imported item. Every parcel needs an import declaration, whatever its value. When you order from an EU seller shipping from an EU country, there are no customs and no import VAT.
In the rules under which they reach the market. In the EU, health claims come only from the EU register, novel ingredients are sold only after authorisation and the label must comply with Directive 2002/46/EC. In the US the FDA does not approve supplements before sale or check labels in advance; the manufacturer is responsible for safety. These are different systems, not a verdict on quality.
It depends on the seller. When you buy from an EU seller, you can withdraw from the purchase within 14 days under Directive 2011/83/EU. A seller outside the EU sets its own return terms, and the return parcel goes through customs. Read the return terms before you pay.
Stivits delivers to 14 EU countries from warehouses in Riga and Tallinn. Your order is dispatched by the next working day. To a parcel locker in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania it takes 1–2 working days; the parcel locker is free and the minimum order is €15. Other countries take 3–5 working days. There are no customs and no import VAT when shipped from one EU country to another.
Because the rules differ. In the EU a label may use only health claims from the EU register (Regulations No 1924/2006 and No 432/2012). In the US the FDA does not check supplement labels before they reach the market. So the claims on a US jar may differ from those allowed in the EU. Doses may differ too.