United States revokes tariff exemption for small packages – DW – 08/29/2025

The US tariff exemption for low-value items from abroad has come to an end. This means that as of Friday at 12:01 a.m. (04:01 UTC/GMT), tariffs will now apply to all goods shipped to the United States. For the next six months, postal service shippers can choose to pay a flat duty of $80 to $200 per package depending on the country of origin, as stated by officials from the Trump administration. The previous “de minimis” exemption, which allowed items worth $800 or less to be shipped to the US duty-free, has been in place since 1938. The number of “de minimis” packages entering the US has significantly increased from 140 million in 2014 to 1.36 billion by 2024, according to the US Customs and Border Protection agency. Critics argue that the flood of low-value imports hurts US retailers and could allow potentially unsafe items to enter the country unchecked, as well as facilitate the shipment of fentanyl and other drugs. US President Donald Trump had previously ended the exemption for China in February, and now it has ended for all countries. Full tariff rates will apply to all packages shipped by express carriers such as FedEx, United Parcel Service, and DHL. Foreign postal agencies have two options: they can collect and process duties based on the package’s value or opt for the flat rate method based on Trump’s “reciprocal” tariff rates. After the six-month transition period, postal services must shift to collecting duties on the full value of the product by February 28, 2026.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/us-ends-tariff-exemption-for-low-value-parcels/a-73802520?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf