For those who are not aware, de minimis shipping has come to an end in the US. Effective August 29, 2025, the de minimis exemption, which previously extended duty-free shipping to goods with a value of less than $800, is being suspended in an effort to address national security concerns, including the trafficking of illicit goods such as fentanyl. 

What this means is that all shipments, regardless of their value, will be subject to the complete set of US import regulations, including duties, taxes, and Customs clearance procedures. 

If you are an importer who ships low-value goods, this change to what was previously de minimis shipping could represent a significant challenge to your business going forward, as it will, at a minimum, require several key changes to the way you have been importing up to this point. 

It is important to understand that this is not just a de minimis rule change, but a full suspension, and while it isn’t ideal for low-value good importers, attempting to import ‘as usual’ without the benefit of this exception is a recipe for disaster. 

Effective 8/29 12 PM EST, CBP will immediately start rejecting shipments that attempt to file under Section 321, whether it is filing on a manifest or a Type 86 Entry.

With that in mind, there are steps you can take to help make this significant change more manageable. In today’s post, we’re going to get into what you can do to keep your shipments moving in this new paradigm.  

What Should You Do Now?

There are several avenues available to importers who previously benefited from de minimis shipments. However, for importers of every size and shape, priority one is simply to understand what the import process will now look like for low-value goods. There are many different entry types, and determining which one makes the most sense for your imports will be a vital part of this process. 

Informal Entries 

Informal entries are entries that fall under a specific value threshold and do not contain any high-risk or heavily regulated goods. These entries often involve simplified documentation, typically requiring just a commercial invoice and a bill of lading, with more documentation and information being requested and required on a case-by-case basis. 

It may be tempting to view this as a natural next step from de minimis shipments, and it very well could be for your imports, but be cautious - the requirements for the informal entry type are deceptively rigorous. The value threshold for a good entering the US under this type is $2500, and the goods cannot be high-risk or heavily regulated in any way. Specifically, regulated or restricted goods are those that are subject to a trade remedy duty, if they are a high-risk commodity, or if they are listed as a priority trade issue. 

What Now? 

The best thing you, as an importer, can do is find the entry type that will make the most sense for your imports and determine how it will fit into your business plan. Additional information on the standard practices for importing goods into the US can be found in our Learning Center webinar, "How to Import into the US," and you are encouraged to become as literate in this process as possible. 

With a key understanding of how your goods will now be processed established, we can examine a few other considerations and strategies that may help you maintain your business going into the future. 

Find a Customs Broker 

One of the first things to understand is that your process is going to be fundamentally different from what you have been dealing with up to this point under the de minimis allowance. This is a change that is going to affect how you proceed with Customs, but you don’t have to go through it alone - brokers, like PCB, are here to help you navigate this new trade environment.

The first and most important thing you will do in the face of this change is find and work with a trusted customs broker. Working with a broker can help you determine exactly what you need to move forward, what your new process will look like. Then, if they have Trade Advisory Services (like our team at PCB), they can help navigate new logistical solutions for your business and assist in seeking ways to lighten or adjust the new financial burden through things like free trade agreement reviews or tariff relief services. 

Add to that the increased importance of valuation, and a broker can help ensure that you are only paying exactly what you need to when you need to, with as accurate and well-considered a declaration as possible. Mistakes and missed opportunities add time, costs, and complications to a process that you will find is increasingly demanding speed and ease. 

From this point on, benefiting from the expertise of a broker is no longer an optional business decision. These processes are complicated, and you are going to need an expert you can trust in the days ahead.

Work With Your Carrier

In lieu of these de minimis changes, some carriers have begun instituting special programs that can help streamline this process for you. It is worth investigating if your current carrier is doing anything to help with this change of policy, and if not, it may be time to explore and see what a different carrier can offer your business at this time.

Consider Holding and Fulfilling Your Inventory in the US

While this, admittedly, isn’t going to be a viable option for every business that imports low-value goods, it can be a valid navigation option for those businesses that can manage it. The key to this is that the goods must enter the US unsold and therefore count as being declared in bulk. The challenge, and additional cost, in this method, however, lies in the storage of those goods. If you can afford that or already have a storage solution in place, this is a complementary solution to this new way of doing things.   

If this seems like a strategy that could work for your business, you should also consider working with a third-party logistics company (3PL). These organizations can assist with cross-border fulfillment and handle a significant portion of the heavy lifting when it comes to Customs and logistics processes. Options like consolidation can be run through a 3PL, and the benefits of working with the experts in this new arena can be significant.

Work with a Fulfillment Partner

Working with US fulfillment centers can be a way to move forward under this new paradigm, admittedly with a sizable price tag attached. Fulfillment centers often have the infrastructure and storage in place to manage the actual logistics of moving your goods in the US. The process works by having you send them your goods in bulk, avoiding the new challenges associated with shipping individually and the cost associated with smaller shipping, and they handle shipping domestically. If you can manage it, it’s an option. 

With that in mind, it is worth cautioning you that warehouse and fulfillment center space will be in demand in the coming days and months for reasons that should be clear at this point. Now is the time to get in contact with a logistics team and begin exploring your options.  

This is a significant change for many importers and businesses around the world that relied on the US as one of their key markets, but it doesn’t have to signify the end of that relationship. With a few key changes in best practices and strategies, with the assistance of skilled experts in customs brokerage and logistics, you may find that this leads to new opportunities in the days ahead. 

For assistance with the transition, please contact our US brokerage team today.