Overview
- CBP announced Wednesday that it will delay the mandatory use of Entry Type 13 for certain international postal shipments from October 22, 2026 to January 20, 2027 to allow importers, brokers and carriers more time to prepare.
- The policy also keeps in place an indefinite suspension of the de minimis exemption that once let low‑value packages (commonly $800 or less) enter with simplified procedures.
- Under the new rules, postal shipments subject to Section 201, 232 or 301 duties or regulated by a partner agency must be filed electronically in the Automated Commercial Environment using Entry Type 13 or else be entered formally, which can require a licensed customs broker and a customs bond.
- Patient groups, individual importers and pharmacy associations warn the data, bonding and broker requirements could delay or block personal prescription orders from Canada and elsewhere or sharply raise out‑of‑pocket costs for people who rely on foreign mail‑order drugs.
- CBP is encouraging optional early adoption and promises guidance during the 90‑day transition, but officials have not provided clear public answers about exemptions for personal‑use medicine shipments and stakeholders say uncertainty will persist until January enforcement begins.