US Customs in 2026: De Minimis Is Gone — What Agent Buyers Pay Now

If you learned this hobby before late 2025, forget what you knew about US customs. The "under $800 ships duty-free" rule (de minimis) that the entire agent-haul economy was built on was suspended for all countries on August 29, 2025, and a February 2026 executive order continued the suspension. As of June 2026 it has not come back. Every guide still citing $800 — including some agents' own help pages — is out of date.

What US-bound parcels pay now (as of June 2026)

• Every commercial parcel is dutiable. There is no low-value exemption for purchased goods.
• Postal-network parcels currently carry a flat ad-valorem surcharge (about 10% under the temporary Section 122 measure in force since February 2026, scheduled to run into late July 2026 and possibly change after) — the earlier per-item flat fees and country-specific rates were replaced after a Supreme Court ruling in February 2026. This is the most volatile rule in this guide; expect it to change.
• DDP ("duty-inclusive") lines are now the norm for the US. After national postal operators briefly suspended US-bound parcels in late August 2025, service largely resumed via delivered-duty-paid arrangements — which is why your agent's US line list now leans courier-style with duties baked into the price. That price is the honest price; prefer it.
• Two old exemptions survive: bona fide gifts up to $100 and personal-use accompanying items up to $200 (different rules, not applicable to agent purchases).

How to budget honestly

Think in landed cost: item price + agent fees + international freight + duty. With DDP lines, the freight quote already includes the duty component — what you see at checkout is close to what you pay. With postal (DDU) routes, the carrier bills you before delivery, often with a handling fee on top. And the boring-but-true part: declare honestly.The importer of record is you, "tax-free line" is consolidator marketing rather than a legal status, and no shipping line removes seizure risk for infringing goods.

Elsewhere (briefly)

The EU ends its €150 customs-duty exemption on July 1, 2026 (with an interim flat €3/parcel duty on low-value consignments; import VAT has applied since 2021). The UK still relieves duty at or below £135 with VAT collected at the point of sale. Canada and Australia keep their existing thresholds. Rules everywhere are in motion — treat this page as a June 2026 snapshot and check current official guidance before a big haul.