US duty now follows the product code — the $800 exemption is gone

The duty exemption for parcels worth less than $800 no longer applies in either the courier or the postal channel. It was suspended for courier services on 24 June 2026 and for postal items on 24 July. The previous flat 10% rate for postal shipments has been withdrawn.

Duty is now calculated item by item, based on the product code and the country where the goods were made. The threshold above which a full import declaration is required has been raised from $800 to $2,500. On 13 August 2026 the US Court of International Trade upheld the removal of the exemption, so there is little prospect of the old rules coming back.

Who this affects

Everyone shipping goods to recipients in the United States. The catch is that the rate follows the goods' country of origin, not the country they were shipped from. A parcel leaving Riga with Chinese-made goods inside will be charged at the rates that apply to China.

Marketplace sellers are hit hardest: the door-to-door price is no longer predictable, and a buyer faced with an unexpected customs bill will often simply refuse to collect the parcel.

What to do

Redo the numbers on your US shipments using the actual rate for your product group. Put a precise description and product code on the declaration — vague wording such as "gift" or "samples" makes a hold more likely. Agree with the buyer up front on who pays the duty, and ship with duties prepaid where you can, so the recipient is never hit with a surprise bill.