The United States has long had a "De Minimis" policy for low-value imported goods (generally those valued under $800), which exempts them from customs duties and streamlines customs clearance. This policy underwent a fundamental overhaul in 2025:

First, targeting China: Effective May 2nd, duty-free treatment for low-value goods from mainland China and Hong Kong was eliminated.

Expanding globally: In an executive order signed on July 30th, the de Minimis exemption for low-value shipments from all countries was suspended, effective August 29th. This means that low-value international packages sent to the United States will be subject to customs duties, regardless of their country of origin.

Under the new regulations, low-value packages sent through the international postal system will be taxed using two methods:

Ad valorem tariffs: Calculated by multiplying the value of the goods by the effective tariff rate applicable in the goods' country of origin (including any additional tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act).

Specific tariffs: A fixed tariff ranging from $80 to $200 will be levied on each package (this method will be in effect for six months, after which the full ad valorem tariff method will be adopted).

This move has a huge impact on cross-border e-commerce (especially sellers of low-value goods), which may lead to a significant increase in logistics costs, compressed profit margins, more complicated customs clearance processes and a decline in consumer shopping experience.