De Minimis

What Is De Minimis?

De minimis, from a Latin phrase meaning about minimal things, is a customs rule that lets low-value shipments enter a country with reduced or no duties and simplified processing. Many countries set their own de minimis thresholds. In the United States, de minimis treatment under Section 321 historically allowed shipments valued at $800 or less to enter duty-free when sent to one person on one day. In 2025, the US suspended duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value imports, so shipments that once qualified may now owe duties and require formal or informal entry processing.

How It Works

Where de minimis rules apply, they generally work like this:

• A shipment's declared value is compared to the country's threshold.
• Shipments below the threshold may enter with reduced duties, taxes or paperwork.
• Some product types or origins can be excluded from the rule.
• Shipments above the threshold go through standard entry and duty payment.

For example, an overseas brand that used to ship individual orders directly to US customers from abroad may have relied on de minimis to avoid duties on each parcel. With duty-free treatment suspended, those parcels can now face duties and added processing, which changes the cost of shipping from overseas.

Why It Matters for Ecommerce Brands

Changes to de minimis rules can reshape the economics of cross-border ecommerce. Brands that shipped individual parcels internationally may find that importing inventory in bulk and fulfilling from a US warehouse is now more predictable, because duties are handled once per shipment through a broker rather than parcel by parcel. Rules can change again, and they differ by country, product and origin, so brands should confirm current rules with a licensed customs broker before making decisions. This page is general information, not legal or customs advice.