Starting August 29, 2025, the long‑standing U.S. “de minimis” customs exemption—which allowed imports valued at $800 or less to enter duty‑free—is officially ending, following a July 30 executive order by President Trump.
Immediate Effects:
Postal operators in at least 25 countries have already begun suspending parcel shipments to the U.S., including services in Europe, Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, and others. These suspensions stem from uncertainty over how duties will be assessed, collected, and what additional customs data will be required.
Why It Matters:
- Consumers and businesses are bracing for higher costs and delays. Products that were once affordable may now carry duties of 10% to 50%, or flat fees between $80 and $200, dramatically increasing checkout totals.
- Global logistics networks are under strain as carriers and customs brokers face a surge in duty processing and compliance demands. The “free-flowing traffic” of international parcels is now bottlenecked with compliance hurdles.
Long-Term Outlook:
- Experts predict a significant drop in small-parcel shipping volumes—from over 1.3 billion shipments in 2024 to possibly 200–300 million annually—as companies retool their logistics strategies.
- Companies are increasingly turning toward regional or domestic fulfillment models to avoid new tariffs, potentially reshaping global supply chains.
Check out this Time magazine article for more good insights
“Why Shippers Around the World Are Suspending Deliveries to the U.S.”
https://time.com/7312579/countries-stop-shipping-us-de-minimis-exemption-trump-trade-tariffs/