Overview
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced on Oct. 14 that mandatory use of the new Entry Type 13 informal-entry process for certain international mail is delayed from Oct. 22, 2026 to Jan. 20, 2027.
- Under Entry Type 13, postal shipments subject to Section 201, 232 or 301 duties or under a Partner Government Agency must be filed electronically in the Automated Commercial Environment or be processed as formal entry.
- Formal entry generally requires a licensed customs broker and a financial guarantee known as a customs bond, which industry and patient groups say could add cost, delay or refusals for personal imports such as lower-cost prescription drugs.
- CBP framed the move as a security and readiness step to close gaps used by smugglers and urged filers to adopt Entry Type 13 voluntarily during the transition while it continues outreach and guidance.
- The agency has also proposed in an Oct. 8 rulemaking to extend the new entry and data requirements to most international mail packages except letters and flats, so stakeholders should watch the NPRM and the Jan. 20 deadline for lasting changes.