Customs and Tarriffs

[dixon_hoyle]

US Buyers are about to enter a new area to strongly consider when comparing costs: Tariffs; Costs to collect Tariffs; and Wno to pay for these additional costs when the item is shipped from another country than the US. 

As checked today in the USPS Notice 123, dated July 2025, for a single small package delivered to your doorstep or picked up at the Post Office or Post Office Hub (no information yet as to where the "last leg" servicing location will be is a  $9.10 per package serving charge + whatever the US Custom's inspector has instructed the Post Office to collect.  This part the buyer can figure out once the Administration finalizes the Tariff fees that will be collected from each non US Country.

In the past, small buyers didn't have to pay much attention to these "De Minimis" charges as a lot of "stuff" is sold for less than $800 apiece, and US Customs had enough to deal with large shipments that they just "shuffled through" international packages  that came in mail bags.

I would expect intermediate package handlers outside of the USPS to try to deal with getting your shipment to your chosen delivery point some other way than using one of the USPS partnership programs, but the collection of Tarriffs and money cost of handling will still have to be collected somewhere along the line.

Now, will ebay figure this out for us and post it with the Seller's listing, or will all buyers have to compute (estimate) this themselves?  In such case, Buyers should pay particular attention to the shipping service the seller is using to deliver the package AND identify where the seller is REALLY shipping the product from.  Personally, I began to check where the seller was shipping the package from about 6 months ago, and found, that although the page with photo of the product being purchased specifically stated the seller was located in some place in the US, if I dug further into "About" or the Store was located, it was in China.

So, buyer beware!

I'm making this post to solicit feedback particularly from ebay, but expect it to generate conversation from buyers.

[wooden_flower]

@dixon_hoyle 

Only a small group of pre-approved members - mentors - can respond on this board, and eBay staff will not see your post. To start a discussion, post on the buyer’s discussion board.

Do remember that the de minimus remains at $800 for all countries other than China and Hong Kong; and that most packages from China are not delivered by usps - they use other currier services.

[dixon_hoyle]

The elimination of the de minimus was signed into law by President Trump to take effect on August 29, 2025.  No matter the carrier, anything coming into the country will now be inspected by Customs at one of the 5 Custom Centers and appropriate payment demanded before it can flow to its final destination.  I just got a package today from a Chinese funded company with "sales office" in Brooklynn NY, so I checked their web page to see their shipping and handling restrictions.  If the buyer refuses to pay the tariff, the package is held for destruction (or whatever the shipping company wants to do with it) but the buyer isresponsible for all costs to return the goods back to the shipper.  However, remember, the seller has the submitted money in hand (a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush) to cover the return shipment costs.  so the buyer is still "out" just for doing business.  I soon expect to see more such disclaimers from companies shipping products from overseas.  Remember, right now 10% import tariff is expected from ALL countries - a way to encourage producing everything in the US- albeit i've heard that the textile industry is not likely to be rejuvinated due to lack of interest. May mean more Thrift Stores as an alternative to paying 10% more than we are used to.

[wooden_flower · Accepted solution]

@dixon_hoyle 

Actually the de minimis is in place until July 1 2027.

See section 70531 subsection 3.

 (3) Effective date.--The amendments made by this subsection 
    shall take effect on July 1, 2027.

Since much can happen in 2 years, I would not be surprised to see more changes. I doubt usps can get ready to handle collection on every inbound package in 2 years.