For U.S. imports covered by the suspension, the duty-free de minimis exemption ended at 12:01 a.m. EDT on August 29, 2025. The former $800 threshold is no longer a blanket reason to expect a covered low-value shipment to enter duty-free. A February 2026 executive order continued the suspension, while setting out different handling for international-postal and nonpostal shipments.
What does de minimis mean?
In U.S. customs law, “de minimis” refers here to the duty-free treatment for qualifying low-value imports under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C). Before the suspension, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) described the relevant value threshold as $800. That figure is historical context: it does not mean that a shipment covered by the current suspension remains exempt because it is worth less than $800.
The term concerns a particular customs exemption, not customs law as a whole. It also does not determine every duty, tax, fee, or other charge that could apply to an import.
What changed on August 29, 2025?
Executive Order 14324, issued July 30, 2025, suspended the duty-free exemption for covered shipments effective at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on August 29, 2025. The order applied regardless of shipment value, country of origin, transportation mode, or method of entry. The date has passed; it is not an upcoming change.
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On February 20, 2026, Executive Order 14388 continued the suspension. Section 2(a) says: “The duty-free de minimis exemption provided under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) shall not apply to any shipment of articles not covered by 50 U.S.C. 1702(b), regardless of value, country of origin, mode of transportation, or method of entry.” The qualification matters: the order expressly refers to articles covered by an exclusion in 50 U.S.C. 1702(b), so its scope should not be paraphrased as applying to every imaginable import.
The practical takeaway for a shopper is to avoid assuming that a covered shipment will be duty-free just because it is inexpensive. Whether charges apply, how much they are, and how they are collected depend on the shipment and applicable rules. Purchase price alone is not enough to calculate the amount due.
How postal and nonpostal shipments are handled
The February 2026 order distinguishes shipments sent through the international postal network from covered nonpostal shipments. These are different operational paths, not necessarily options a buyer can select; the order does not establish a universal rate or process for every package.
| Shipment path | What the order says | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| International postal network | The order provides a separate duty and collection process for postal shipments. | Do not apply the nonpostal ACE filing requirements or assume a rate based on older CBP help text. Check current CBP instructions for the shipment. |
| Nonpostal | Covered shipments are subject to applicable duties, taxes, fees, exactions, and charges. Entry must use an appropriate entry type in ACE and be filed by a qualified party. | For businesses, confirm entry requirements and shipment-specific charges with current CBP guidance or a qualified customs professional. |
The amount and process can depend on details such as origin, product classification, and other applicable duties. The order’s continued suspension does not make all shipments subject to the same rate.
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A White House fact sheet from July 2025 stated that statutory repeal would take effect July 1, 2027. That is a separate future legal milestone from the August 29, 2025 suspension and the February 2026 continuation order. Because that date comes from the fact sheet, check the current enacted statute before relying on it as a definitive account of the law in force.
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