No. The United States has not restored the former duty-free de minimis treatment for shipments valued at $800 or less. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says the suspension took effect on August 29, 2025, and a February 2026 executive order continued it for all countries, subject to exceptions. That means a small overseas package may face applicable duties, taxes and fees—but the rule does not impose one identical charge on every shipment.
What happened to the $800 de minimis exemption?
De minimis is the name for a customs-law administrative exemption that historically allowed qualifying low-value imports to enter the United States without duty. The $800 figure was the former value threshold; it is not a promise that a package worth less than $800 is duty-free today. The statutory provision associated with the former exemption is 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C). The Congressional Research Service recounts a temporary 2025 reinstatement while the government put processing and revenue-collection systems in place, but that episode does not describe current policy. Congressional Research Service, July 30, 2025
CBP says duty-free de minimis treatment for shipments valued at or below $800 from all countries was suspended effective August 29, 2025. On February 20, 2026, the White House issued an order titled Continuing the Suspension of Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Countries. CBP’s subsequent operational bulletin says goods remain ineligible for the administrative exemption unless a stated exception applies. CBP guidance · February 20, 2026 executive order · CBP operational bulletin, February 23, 2026
What the suspension means for a small overseas order
The change removes the former blanket administrative duty-free treatment for covered low-value shipments. It does not establish a single tariff rate or a fixed fee for every parcel. CBP notes that exceptions apply and that some goods may also face ad valorem tariffs under other provisions. The applicable treatment depends on the shipment and relevant customs rules; the sources do not support calculating a particular buyer’s bill without details such as the goods and their origin.
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- The value threshold: The former exemption covered qualifying shipments valued at or below $800. Being below that figure alone no longer makes a shipment duty-free under the suspended exemption.
- Country: The suspension is described as applying to shipments from all countries, not only China.
- Exceptions: The February 2026 order identifies exceptions under 50 U.S.C. 1702(b), including certain donations, informational materials and accompanied baggage for personal use. These are specified exceptions, not a general exemption for ordinary online purchases.
- Other charges: Applicable duties, taxes and fees may differ; the suspension does not mean every package receives the same rate or bill.
For a shipment-specific question, consult current CBP guidance rather than assuming the seller’s displayed price includes every customs charge. CBP: Mail – Duty waiver policy
Why the shipping channel matters
CBP describes different handling for international postal shipments and other shipping modes. Its February 23 bulletin directs appropriate entry filing in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) for shipments outside the international postal network. A 2026 rulemaking record describes an indefinite suspension for merchandise valued at $800 or less arriving through the international postal network, along with a new postal informal-entry process. The filing and processing route therefore matters in addition to shipment value and any applicable exception. CBP operational bulletin · 2026 rulemaking record
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| Shipment situation | What the cited guidance establishes |
|---|---|
| International postal network | The $800-or-less exemption is described as indefinitely suspended for mail shipments; a new postal informal-entry process is described in the 2026 rulemaking record. Rulemaking record |
| Other shipping modes | CBP says appropriate entry filing in ACE applies. The bulletin does not establish one universal charge for every shipment. CBP operational bulletin |
| Shipment covered by a stated exception | The executive order identifies specified exceptions, including certain donations, informational materials and accompanied personal-use baggage. Whether a particular shipment qualifies depends on the exception’s terms. Executive order |
Does this mean Shein and Temu orders will cost more?
Shein and Temu have benefited from the former low-value direct-to-consumer framework, according to a U.S. Government Publishing Office report. The report gives historical de minimis shipment totals of 220 million in 2016 and 720 million in 2021; those figures are not current 2026 volume. U.S. Government Publishing Office report
The suspension is broader than those two retailers: it is described as covering shipments from all countries. But the available sources do not quantify current Shein or Temu price changes, establish whether either retailer absorbs or passes on a particular charge, or show how a specific order’s final cost will change. A shopper should not assume that a listing price will rise by a uniform percentage—or that the seller will handle every customs charge.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchWhat the August 2026 court report does—and does not—change
Axios reported on August 13, 2026, that a federal trade court ruled the administration could block low-value imports from entering tariff-free. The report says the ruling did not decide the separate IEEPA issue discussed in its coverage. This is a secondary account; the court opinion and subsequent docket actions are not established by the cited source, so it does not support broader claims about the ruling’s scope or appeal status. Axios, August 13, 2026
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is the exemption permanently gone?
The current materials describe the exemption as suspended, not presently reinstated. Separately, a June 3, 2026 White House fact sheet says Congress permanently repealed the statutory basis for the exemption worldwide effective July 1, 2027. That is a future effective date in the fact sheet, not the operative date described for the current suspension. Check current CBP and legal guidance for any later changes. White House fact sheet, June 3, 2026
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