De Minimis Rules for less than $800 Shipment from 22 Oct 2026

· Effective June 24, 2026, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has ended duty-free de minimis treatment for all shipments valued at $800 or less, regardless of whether they arrive through postal or non-postal channels.

· All such shipments must now undergo standard customs entry procedures and are subject to applicable duties, taxes and fees.

· For postal shipments, CBP has introduced a new informal entry process for eligible shipments valued up to $2,500, along with new bonding and data-reporting requirements. Compliance with certain postal-specific requirements begins on October 22, 2026.

· CBP said the changes aim to improve revenue collection, strengthen enforcement against counterfeit goods and illicit drugs, and prevent misuse of the de minimis exemption.

· Importers, marketplaces and logistics providers should update customs procedures, documentation, duty calculations and compliance processes for low-value shipments.

[ABS News Service/30.06.2026]

Customs and Border Protection has issued two interim final rules that make the end of duty-free de minimis treatment a permanent operational fact for importers, carriers, marketplaces and postal operators.

The rules, effective June 24, 2026, indefinitely suspend the $800 exemption for low-value merchandise entering the United States through both postal and non-postal channels. Comments are due July 24, 2026.

For non-postal shipments, CBP amended its regulations to suspend de minimis treatment for merchandise valued at $800 or less arriving by all modes other than the international postal network. Such shipments must now move through appropriate CBP entry procedures and are subject to applicable duties, taxes and fees.

A separate rule covers shipments arriving through the international postal network. It indefinitely suspends de minimis treatment for postal shipments valued at $800 or less and establishes a new informal entry process for certain postal merchandise valued at $2,500 or less. CBP also imposed bonding and data requirements for informal mail entries. The suspension is effective June 24, 2026, but CBP set an October 22, 2026 delayed compliance date for certain requirements tied to the new postal informal entry process.

CBP said the rule is intended to address revenue, enforcement and public-safety risks, including illicit drugs, counterfeit goods and other noncompliant merchandise. The agency said a partial suspension would leave room for circumvention and evasion, while a broader suspension reduces the disparity between postal and non-postal shipments.

The rules follow a series of executive and legislative actions that have narrowed, then effectively ended, the de minimis channel. President Trump suspended duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value shipments from all countries in 2025 and continued the suspension in February 2026. Congress then enacted a statutory repeal of the de minimis basis, effective July 1, 2027.

Importers now should confirm entry-type workflows, HTS classification, origin documentation, duty calculation, postal-channel data feeds, bonding arrangements and broker instructions for shipments that previously moved with little or no customs friction. Marketplaces and direct-to-consumer sellers should also revisit landed-cost disclosures, return policies and supplier terms, because low-value no longer means low-compliance.