USPS Ends $800 De Minimis | New U.S. Import Duties Explained (2025)

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 Important Update: Changes to U.S. Import Duties (Effective August 29, 2025)

Dear Customers,

On August 22, 2025, the United States Postal Service (USPS) announced that starting August 29, 2025, they will no longer accept shipments under DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid). This means that all shipments to the U.S. must have duties and taxes paid upfront to the U.S. Government (DDP – Delivered Duty Paid) before leaving our Canadian warehouse.

We want to ensure you fully understand what this means for your orders.

What’s Changing?

  • Before Aug 29: Many parcels shipped DDU, and duties were collected by USPS directly from U.S. customers upon delivery.
  • Now: Duties and taxes must be calculated and paid to the U.S. Government before your parcel leaves our warehouse in Canada.
  • Brokerage Fees: If sent through USPS, shipments may also be subject to brokerage fees of about US$50 per item on top of duties.

End of the $800 De Minimis Rule:

Previously, most shipments valued under US$800 entered the U.S. completely duty- and tax-free. That rule has now ended.

  • From August 29, 2025, every parcel — no matter how small the value — will be taxed from the very first dollar.
  • Example: A $50 t-shirt that used to arrive duty-free may now be taxed at standard U.S. tariff rates.

This change is one of the biggest reasons you may see higher charges than before.

Why Does This Matter?

U.S. tariffs are not always a flat percentage.
See the official CBP tariff summary.
Multiple tariffs can stack depending on where your product was made and what materials it contains. For example:

  • Goods from China → 25% Section 301 tariff
  • Finished electronics → +20% duty
  • Products with aluminum components → +50% duty
  • General base tariff on some imports → up to 35%

 Example: A $100 gadget from China could end up costing $250+ after tariffs and fees.

How This Affects Your ShipByMail Orders

Regular Forwarding

  • If you order items yourself and ship to your ShipByMail Canadian address, duties and taxes will now be added to your forwarding invoice.
  • You will see the duty/tax calculation before your parcel ships.

Buy-For-Me Service

  • Previously, you only paid for the product cost upfront.
  • From now on, duties and taxes will also need to be paid before we can ship your parcel to you.
  • In some cases, duties and taxes may exceed the original product price.

What We’re Doing to Help

  • Transparent Estimates: We will do our best to give you accurate duty/tax estimates at checkout, so you know the true landed cost before shipping.
  • Clear Communication: You’ll always be notified by email once your parcel arrives and before any duties are charged.
  • Flexible Options: We continue to explore alternative carriers and shipping options to minimize extra brokerage fees.

What You Can Do as a Customer

  1. Check country of origin before ordering. Items from China, aluminum products, and electronics are most affected.
  2. Budget for duties and fees that may be higher than expected.
  3. Use Buy-For-Me wisely — for some products, duties may outweigh the savings.

Questions?

We know this is a big change, and we’re here to help. Please contact our support team if you’d like a duty estimate before buying, or if you’re unsure how this change affects your order.

ShipByMail is committed to making Canadian shopping as easy and transparent as possible — even with these new U.S. rules.

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