Overview

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection began collecting normal duty rates on all global parcel imports at 12:01 a.m. EDT, ending the under‑$800 duty‑free threshold.
• For six months, foreign postal operators may opt for flat fees of $80 to $200 per package by tariff band before moving to value‑based duty collection by Feb. 28, 2026.
• Dozens of national postal services and some carriers have suspended or limited U.S.-bound packages as they await operational guidance on who collects duties and how to transmit required data to CBP.
• Consumers and small businesses are seeing cancellations, delays and higher costs, while private express carriers such as UPS and FedEx say they are prepared to collect duties and process customs data.
• The White House says the change targets tariff evasion, counterfeit goods and illicit drugs and could raise about $10 billion a year, with limited exceptions for traveler personal items (about $200) and gifts under $100.