US Customs Service

We have a foreign exchange student from Italy. His parents paid 159 US Dollars to sent winter clothing from his room closet to our home in Ohio. The UPS then charged us another 149 US Dollars in customs and taxes upon delivery of the package, then UPS decided to charge us additional dollars because UPS claims they had to pay US Customs Office in Louisville, Ky. That's $308 US Dollars for a average size box of used clothing. Do we have a major rip off here. I Truly think so.