The United States ended the de minimis duty-free exemption, so all imported packages now face tariffs. Postal service shippers can opt for a temporary flat duty of $80 to $200 per package for six months, depending on country of origin. The de minimis threshold had allowed items valued at $800 or less duty free since 1938. De minimis shipments rose from 140 million in 2014 to 1.36 billion by 2024. Critics say the surge harms US retailers, lets potentially unsafe products and illicit drugs enter more easily, and complicates customs enforcement. After six months, duties must be collected on full package value.
The number of de minimis packages entering the US skyrocketed from 140 million in 2014 to 1.36 billion packages by 2024, according to the US Customs and Border Protection agency. Critics say the flood of low-value imports hurts US retailers, means potentially unsafe items could flow unchecked into the country and makes it easier to ship fentanyl and other drugs into the United States.
Full tariff rates will now apply to all packages shipped by express carriers such as FedEx, United Parcel Service and DHL, with the firms collecting the duties and processing the paperwork. Foreign postal agencies have two options. They can collect and process the duties based on the value of the package contents or opt for the flat rate method by collecting a flat tax based on Trump's "reciprocal" tariff rates currently in place on goods from the country of origin.
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