CBP suspends de minimis for mail shipments and new postal entry process

E-commerce sellers, marketplaces, postal consolidators, customs brokers, and third-party logistics providers should review their U.S.-bound postal shipment processes. One of the most significant operational changes is that the new postal informal entry process may be filed only by parties with the right to make entry: the owner, purchaser, or a licensed customs broker designated by the owner, purchaser, or consignee.

This means non-broker qualified parties that previously submitted International Mail Duty Worksheets are no longer eligible to serve as filers unless they are also the owner or purchaser. For consolidators and service providers that supported postal de minimis programs without acting as licensed customs brokers, this may require new broker relationships, revised customer authorizations, changes to operating models, and updated commercial terms.

Previously, qualifying low-value goods imported by mail could often enter the United States duty-free under the de minimis exemption, with limited data and without a traditional entry process. Under the new rule, that exemption is indefinitely suspended for imports arriving through the international postal network. CBP states that any future modification or revocation of the suspension will be announced in the Federal Register.

CBP is also replacing the prior interim postal process with a new postal informal entry process for eligible mail shipments valued at $2,500 or less. Eligible shipments must now be supported by more detailed customs data, including merchandise description, country of origin, 10-digit HTSUS classification, value, duty rate, total duty owed, carrier, tracking number, arrival port, and arrival date. The filer must transmit the required spreadsheet to CBP no later than the seventh day of the month following the package’s arrival.

A new cost and compliance consideration is the bond requirement. CBP is requiring the party filing a postal informal entry to obtain a basic importation and entry bond, either a single transaction bond or a continuous bond, sufficient to secure entries made under the new mail process.

The new postal informal entry process is not available for all goods. Merchandise requiring formal entry includes goods subject to quota, antidumping or countervailing duty orders, Partner Government Agency (PGA) data requirements, Chapter 98 or Chapter 99 duties, and merchandise imported under a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

CBP is providing a limited delayed compliance window for certain excluded categories. Until October 22, 2026 — 120 days after publication — mail shipments valued at $2,500 or less that are subject to PGA data requirements, Chapter 98 or Chapter 99 duties, or duty-free claims under Chapter 98 or a FTA may continue to use the new postal informal entry process. After that date, those shipments must move under formal entry procedures or another available CBP-authorized process.

CBP cited several drivers behind the rule: rapidly increasing low-value shipment volumes, enforcement risk, and concerns about uncollected duties. The agency states that growth in de minimis volumes has made it harder to target noncompliant shipments, especially in the postal environment where advance data has historically been more limited.

CBP also pointed to risks involving counterfeit merchandise, firearms, fentanyl, and other illicit goods. The agency’s position is that bad actors may exploit low-value postal channels because high package volumes and simplified processes can make enforcement more difficult.

Finally, CBP emphasized revenue protection. With more low-value goods entering the United States, the agency determined that continuing duty-free treatment for postal de minimis shipments was no longer consistent with the purpose of the exemption.

This rule materially changes how companies manage low-value postal imports into the United States. Goods that previously moved duty-free and with limited data may now require:

For global trade teams, the most disruptive change may not be the loss of de minimis alone. It is the combined effect of duty exposure, filer eligibility restrictions, bond requirements, and formal entry triggers. Postal programs that were previously managed by third-party consolidators or service providers may need to be redesigned quickly.

Importers, e-commerce sellers, marketplaces, and logistics providers should identify U.S.-bound postal shipments that previously relied on de minimis treatment. They should determine whether those shipments qualify for the new postal informal entry process, whether the correct party is eligible to file, and whether a licensed customs broker is needed.

Companies should also validate HTS classifications, review products subject to AD/CVD, quota, PGA requirements, Chapter 98, Chapter 99, or FTA claims, and assess whether those goods will require formal entry after the delayed compliance period. Bond arrangements, duty funding, customer pricing, and delivery timelines should also be reviewed.

Low-value postal shipments are becoming more data-intensive, more duty-sensitive, and more tightly controlled. Global trade professionals should treat this as an operational change, not just a tariff update.

For more information on how ONESOURCE Global Trade solutions can assist you, please contact your Account Manager or Customer Success Manager.