The United States has ended the long-standing “de minimis” customs exemption for small parcels, removing duty-free treatment that for nearly a decade had applied to imports valued up to $800. The change — with the exemption for China and Hong Kong eliminated in May under measures launched by President Donald Trump — means small packages entering the U.S. are now subject to duties, customs forms and new collection processes. Customs officials say more than $492 million in duties has been collected from affected parcels since May.

The $800 threshold had allowed nearly 1.4 billion duty-free small parcels into the U.S. last year — a roughly 600% increase over the prior decade — with at least three quarters estimated to originate from China and large e-commerce platforms such as Shein and Temu playing a major role. Before the policy change, the U.S. averaged about four million duty-free parcels per day; that figure has fallen to roughly one million per day since May. More than twenty national postal operators have paused shipments to the U.S., citing unclear CBP guidance.

Businesses and carriers are reacting unevenly. Some U.S. merchants welcome the shift: Jim Tuchler of GiftsForYouNow.com said his sales have recovered since the Chinese exemption was removed — "Despite price rises the volume and number of orders have increased compared with last year." Carriers including UPS and FedEx have reported lower volumes on U.S.–China routes; DHL Express Europe CEO Mike Parra said carriers will adapt, adding fees for customs handling and duties where required. The move also aligns the U.S. with stricter de minimis levels in the EU (€150) and the U.K. (£135), and introduces alternative postal fees of $80–$200 per item under a six‑month reciprocal tariff mechanism. #FiatNews