EmIS 156/2025 – United States of America – Suspension of duty-free de minimis exemption
Emergency Information System Message
Message n° 156/2025
21 August / 21 août 2025 à 15h19 (CEST)
This message will also be published by means of an International Bureau circular.
The designated operator of the United States of America, the United States Postal Service (USPS), wishes to inform Union member countries and their designated operators (DOs) of the suspension of the duty-free de minimis exemption for all dutiable international postal items containing goods destined for the US, effective from 29 August 2025, pursuant to the US executive order (EO) of 30 July 2025 entitled “Suspending Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Countries”, in accordance with article 20.1 of the Universal Postal Convention. Details of the EO are available at www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/07/suspending-duty-free-de-minimis-treatment-for-all-countries/ .
With effect from 29 August 2025, the duty-free de minimis exemption for goods valued at 800 USD or less will be eliminated, and all international postal items containing goods destined for the US, regardless of value, shall be subject to customs duties, unless an exemption (including those specified below) applies.
In this regard, DOs are kindly requested to liaise, without delay, with their transportation carriers and other parties qualified by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in order to ensure that such carriers and other qualified parties are able to collect and remit customs duties for all affected items effective from 29 August 2025. From this date, DOs must only dispatch dutiable items to the US for which the applicable duties have been paid pursuant to the procedures outlined in the abovementioned EO.
Dutiable international postal items dispatched to the US for which the applicable duties have not been paid in accordance with the procedures referred to herein shall be deemed as inadmissible.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the above requirement does not apply to P and G format letter-post items containing only documents. Likewise, the existing duty exemption for non-commercial bona fide gifts valued at 100 USD or less also remains in place, subject to CBP regulations and procedures.
Furthermore, member countries and their DOs are reminded of the continuing requirement, outlined in IB circular 118/2024 and reiterated in IB circular 27/2025, for the capture and transmission of complete and accurate electronic advance data (EAD) for all EMS items (including documents), parcel-post items, and letter-post items containing goods, in compliance with UPU Messaging Standards M33 (ITMATT) and M41 (PREDES). In accordance with article 20-001 of the Convention Regulations, Harmonized System tariff codes must be included on customs declarations and in EAD.
In addition, certain information may be required for customs control and duty calculation purposes, including more detailed tariff codes. Under the EO and CBP regulations, the information required to be declared to the CBP includes the country of origin of the goods.
For the first six months from the date of entry into effect of the EO (i.e. until 28 February 2026), transportation carriers (or, in lieu of such carriers, other parties qualified by the CBP) may elect to calculate and pay the mandatory duties for international postal items valued at 800 USD or less using either of the following two methodologies:
(1) An ad valorem duty equal to the effective International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) (50 U.S.C. § 1701 et seq.) tariff rate applicable to the country of origin of the product, assessed on the value of each product within a dutiable postal item (package) containing goods entered for consumption; or
(2) A specific duty on each package containing goods entered for consumption, based on the highest effective IEEPA tariff rate applicable to the countries of origin of the products, as follows:
– countries with an effective IEEPA tariff rate of less than 16%: 80 USD per item;
– countries with an effective IEEPA tariff rate between 16% and 25% (inclusive): 160 USD per item;
– countries with an effective IEEPA rate above 25%: 200 USD per item.
From 28 February 2026 (i.e. six months after 29 August 2025), the specific duty methodology (i.e. the flat-rate option of 80 USD, 160 USD or 200 USD per item) shall no longer be available, at which point only the ad valorem duty methodology shall remain available.
The CBP is expected to publish, in the US Federal Register, additional details concerning the procedures for implementation of the EO, and it has issued detailed guidance for transportation carriers and other parties interested in receiving CBP qualification. Further details in this regard, including contact information for notifications and inquiries, are available at content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCBP/bulletins/3ee147f. Additional relevant updates may also be circulated via IB circulars or EmIS messages as appropriate.
USPS wishes to take this opportunity to reiterate that DOs, transportation carriers and other qualified parties shall remain fully responsible for their own compliance with all legal obligations (including those stipulated under the EO).
USPS thanks all Union member countries and their DOs for their understanding and cooperation in this matter.
Yours faithfully,
Abdel Ilah Bousseta
Director of Postal Operations