Overview

• The White House policy takes effect Aug. 29, ending the $800 de minimis and lowering the duty-free limit to under $100, with verifiable gifts under $100 still exempt.
• National postal operators including Korea Post, SingPost, Deutsche Post, Norway, Finland, Belgium and Thailand Post are pausing or halting U.S.-bound parcels this week.
• Customs and Border Protection detailed temporary flat fees of about $80–$200 per international mail item for six months and has certified two firms to collect and remit duties for mail carriers.
• Roughly four million packages a day had qualified for de minimis, and research cited by the press warns higher costs will fall hardest on poorer ZIP codes with an $11–$13 billion annual welfare loss.
• Private couriers say service continues—FedEx is accepting shipments—while Etsy will suspend some national‑mail label services from Aug. 25 and recommend carriers that allow duty prepayment.