Importers Pass De Minimis Costs to Shoppers

Elimination of the duty exemption for packages under $800 is raising costs for e-commerce customers.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in International Trade

Isometric editorial illustration of stacked plain shipping containers beside a single brown parcel on a concrete dock, in muted oxblood, teal, and mustard. — Importers are passing higher duties on packages under $800 to e-commerce customers after the Trump administration ended the de minimis exemption in August 2025. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Since the Trump Administration eliminated the de minimis duty exemption for imported packages valued under $800 in August 2025, importers must pay duties on every package. Importers are passing these added costs on to e-commerce customers.

Why it matters

Smaller e-commerce businesses operate on thin margins and rarely have in-house import specialists, leaving little alternative but to pass costs to buyers. Customs and Border Protection is now processing packages it previously allowed through without assessment.

The de minimis threshold was $800 per package, the value below which imports previously entered duty-free. Source extraction does not provide market or rate data quantifying the resulting cost increase.

The players

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

The federal agency responsible for processing imports and assessing duties at U.S. ports of entry.

The details

Importers must now pay import duties on every package, and additional fees such as a value-added tax may apply on top. Importers also bear the manpower cost of processing paperwork for small packages, and Customs and Border Protection is handling volumes it previously allowed through unassessed.

August 2025: The Trump Administration ended the de minimis exemption for packages valued under $800.

Market Dynamics

The elimination of the $800 de minimis exemption removed a duty-free channel that cross-border e-commerce had relied on for low-value imports. Buying from U.S. wholesalers that have previously imported goods may now be a less costly option, though it comes at a cost to the bottom line.

Shoppers buying low-cost goods from overseas sellers may see higher final prices as duties and brokerage fees are passed through. Businesses that import small packages face added paperwork and processing costs.

The takeaway

Price comparisons for low-value overseas purchases should now factor in duties and brokerage fees. Domestic sellers that already import goods in bulk may offer a more predictable total cost.