NEVER use UPS. I learned that the hard way.
I think I posted about it HERE. Many of the fees you describe (like brokerage fees) I had to pay for, and that was during the previous administration with no tariffs.
What’s really weird about ballpoints, is that it’s the ink. They declare it as a “potentially hazardous substance” that needs to be examined or tested. JFC… BALLPOINT INK! Heck, in old pens, the problem is you often can’t get old ink out. It’s not gonna leak. It’s not fountain pen ink.