The $800 de-minimis rule — what changed in 2025–26

For years, the fastest way to move small parcels into the US was to stay under the de minimis threshold. Shipments valued at or below the limit could enter free of duty and with dramatically simplified customs formalities. That single rule powered a generation of cross-border e-commerce — and in 2025 it changed in ways that reshaped how small shipments are treated.

What de minimis was

Under Section 321 of the Tariff Act (19 U.S.C. 1321), CBP could admit a shipment of articles imported by one person on one day, fairly valued at or below a set threshold, free of duty and tax. That threshold was raised to $800 in 2016 — one of the highest de minimis values in the world. The point was administrative efficiency: it isn't worth CBP's time to formally assess duty on a single low-value parcel.

What changed in 2025–26

The administration removed the de minimis privilege in stages. First, for goods from China and Hong Kong (2025-05-02) — the origins that accounted for the largest share of low-value parcels. Then, for every other origin (2025-08-29), closing the obvious workaround of rerouting shipments through a third country. The suspension was made indefinite on 2026-06-24, with statutory elimination of the exemption itself set for 2027-07-01. The practical effect, for any origin: parcels that would previously have entered duty-free under $800 are now subject to formal/informal entry and the applicable duties — including whatever Section 301/232/122 measures apply to that origin and product. Because this area moved through executive actions, pauses and revisions across two years, the exact scope and timing shifted more than once, and could shift again.

Who this affects

• Direct-to-consumer sellers shipping small parcels from any origin — China/Hong Kong felt it first, but the suspension is now global.
• Marketplaces and fulfilment platforms that relied on de minimis to avoid formal entry.
• Anyone splitting orders to stay under the threshold — a practice under sharper scrutiny.
• Buyers who previously saw no duty on sub-$800 imports and now may, regardless of where the seller ships from.

What to do about it

If your model depended on de minimis, the honest move is to re-run your unit economics with duty included. That means classifying your products to their real HTS lines, looking up the base rate, and adding any Section 301 or 232 measures for the origin. A product that was effectively duty-free as a small parcel may now carry the full tariff stack — and if that changes your margin, better to know now than at the port.

The bottom line

De minimis is no longer the reliable duty-free lane it was for goods from every origin. Treat it as a rule that now has real conditions, verify the current status for your origin against CBP, and price your products on their true landed cost rather than an exemption that may not apply. Nothing here is legal or customs advice — confirm your specific situation with CBP or a licensed broker.