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Last reviewed: September 2026 · Copy link

De minimis explained: the end of the $800 exemption

The US $800 de-minimis exemption ended Aug 29, 2025 (China/HK parcels lost it May 2, 2025): parcels now clear with duties and fees. For a decade, direct-from-China parcels under $800 entered the US duty-free and paperwork-free; that era is over, and every import now pays duty, fees, and — for commercial entries — needs a proper entry. Small sellers lost the hidden subsidy quietly pricing their samples and dropship parcels.
On this page
What actually changedWho it hits hardestWhat to do differently
Price a shipment post-de-minimis

What actually changed

  • May 2, 2025: China and Hong Kong parcels lost de minimis eligibility first.
  • Aug 29, 2025: the exemption ended for every country; all commercial parcels now clear with duties and fees.
  • Postal shipments face their own temporary treatment (ad valorem or per-item fees) — a moving target worth confirming per shipment.
  • Entries above de minimis were always formal entries: if you import bulk, nothing about your entry changed — what changed is that your competitors’ prices moved too.

Who it hits hardest

Dropshippers and small parcel senders lose the most: the duty-free lane that made tiny direct-from-China orders viable is closed, and per-shipment clearance now carries real cost. Sellers who consolidated into proper bulk imports were already paying duty — they gain a relative advantage.

The practical shift: sample orders and small test buys now deserve landed-cost math, and shipping “a few units at a time” no longer hides from customs.

What to do differently

  • Run every reorder — including samples — through a landed cost calculation before you approve it.
  • Consolidate: one cleared pallet of 500 units beats 50 cleared parcels on fees every time.
  • If you ship parcels commercially, talk to your broker about informal vs formal entry thresholds and courier clearance billing.

Questions people ask

Can I still split shipments to stay under $800?

No — splitting to dodge duties is structured entry, and CBP treats it as such. With the exemption gone for all countries there is also nothing left to stay under.

Do gifts and personal returns still have exemptions?

Personal gift and personal-use allowances exist but are narrow, and commercial goods sold online do not qualify. Business imports clear with duties and fees, full stop.

Did this raise costs for Amazon FBA sellers?

FBA bulk imports always paid duty; the change mostly ended competitors’ duty-free parcel arbitrage. If anything, compliant bulk importers became more price-competitive after August 2025.

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