Is the US $800 de minimis exemption gone?

Yes - the duty-free treatment for low-value China/Hong Kong parcels ended in 2025, and the regime is now pre-collected tariffs: the archived carrier notice chain shows 120% → 54% + $100/parcel from May 12, 2025, with carriers settling against actual customs invoices.

What is the current China Post pre-collection rate for US parcels?

Per the carrier notice posted July 15, 2026 (effective July 18, 2026), the duty pre-collection rate on China Post's US-bound EUB route rose from 12% to 25%, settled on a refund-over/charge-under basis against the actual invoice. Rates are per carrier and per line - customs actuals prevail.

Does BUYCN collect duty from me?

BUYCN does not fabricate or collect US duty rates - the estimator prices freight precisely and leaves duty as customs actuals. On pre-collection lines the carrier collects at dispatch and settles later against the real invoice; refunds and top-ups both happen.

Did the EU change its rules too?

Yes - per the archived carrier notice, the EU abolished the €150 duty exemption effective July 1, 2026, calculating duty by 6-digit HS code regardless of parcel count; some lines began pre-collecting €3 per HS-code category from late June 2026.

Where can I verify these dates?

Every dated fact on this page comes from archived carrier/platform notices captured in our Sep-Oct 2026 verification pack. For live questions, the line card in the estimator and your carrier's invoice are the authoritative sources - clearance actuals prevail.

Trang chủ / Buying Guides / Thuế Mỹ và việc bãi bỏ de minimis: Điều gì thay đổi với bưu kiện Trung Quốc đến 2026?

Thuế Mỹ và việc bãi bỏ de minimis: Điều gì thay đổi với bưu kiện Trung Quốc đến 2026?

Published 2026-10-08 · Updated 2026-10-08 · About 8 min read · BUYCN

This guide is currently published in full in Chinese and English - the English version is shown below.

The short answer

The old "under $800 flies free" era for China-to-US parcels is over, and 2025-2026 replaced it with pre-collected tariffs. The anchor points: on May 12, 2025 the US cut the tariff rate on low-value China/Hong Kong parcels from 120% to 54% while keeping a $100 per-parcel specific duty (and canceled a planned June 1 increase to $200) - per the carrier notice of May 14, 2025. Since then carriers have moved to duty pre-collection: China Post's US-bound EUB pre-collection rate rose from 12% to 25% effective July 18, 2026, settled against the actual invoice ("refund overpayment, supplement underpayment"). All facts on this page are anchored to archived carrier notices; duty outcomes always follow customs actuals.

The timeline, with sources

Date	What happened	Source (archived notice)
2025-05-12	US tariff on low-value China/HK parcels: 120% → 54% + $100/parcel; planned $200 hike canceled	Carrier notice posted 2025-05-14
2026-05-15 / 05-18	Six routes incl. EU & US duty-free preferential air cargo suspended, then discontinued	Carrier announcements
2026-06-01 / 06-25	Apparel duty-free route: billing rules adjusted, then additional tariff charges	Carrier announcements
2026-06-30	Additional customs duty charges on YunExpress lines; US CPSC compliance guide published	Carrier announcements
2026-07-15 (eff. 07-18)	China Post US-bound EUB duty pre-collection raised 12% → 25%; settle vs actual invoice	Carrier notice
2026-08-30	Duty-free air mail (general) & EU/US dedicated lines repriced	Carrier announcement

Timeline compiled from the archived notice chain of one major agent platform (captured in our Sep-Oct 2026 verification pack). Dates are posting/effective dates as printed on each notice.

The pattern behind the dates is simple: duty-free branded lines were suspended or repriced first (May), then category-specific tariff collection arrived (June), then the pre-collection percentages were raised (July). For shoppers the practical meaning is that the tax line became real money - it can no longer be assumed zero, and it differs by carrier and line rather than by a single official table.

What it means for an agent parcel

When you ship through an agent today, one of two things happens on the tax line. Pre-collection lines: the carrier collects an estimated percentage at dispatch (25% on China Post EUB US-bound as of July 2026) and later settles against the actual customs invoice - over-collection is refunded, under-collection billed. Non-collecting lines: duty is billed by the carrier or customs after arrival. Either way the final number is set at the border, not at checkout - which is exactly why BUYCN's estimator shows freight precisely and treats duty as customs actuals instead of inventing a rate. Our customs FAQ covers the country-by-country basics.

How to budget duties now: 5 steps

Know your goods and value — Duty follows the goods category and declared value - keep invoices honest; under-declaring risks holds and fines.
Ask the line, not the internet — Pre-collection percentage and coverage are per carrier and per line - check the line card in the estimator or ask support before dispatch.
Reserve a duty budget — Set aside a percentage of goods value as a duty reserve; if pre-collected, expect refund/top-up against the real invoice (clearance actuals prevail).
Watch the EU separately — The EU abolished its €150 duty exemption effective July 1, 2026, calculating by HS code - US rules do not transfer to EU parcels.
Keep the paperwork — Save the pre-collection receipt and the final invoice - the diff is your refund or top-up, and it is your proof if numbers are disputed.

Pitfalls to avoid

Assuming "tax included" at checkout means the final tax - pre-collection is an estimate; the customs invoice settles the difference.
Reusing 2024 articles about $800 de minimis - the regime has changed twice since; anchor every claim to a dated source.
Under-declaring to shrink the duty - customs values are checked, and penalties plus holds cost far more than the duty saved.
Conflating US and EU rules - the US runs percentage + specific-duty mechanics; the EU switched to HS-code-based calculation from July 1, 2026.
Blaming the agent for carrier changes - pre-collection rates are set by carriers and adjusted by notice; the agent passes them through.

How BUYCN shows the tax line

Given the mess, our design choice is deliberate: the estimator prices freight from the live cache and marks the duty line as customs actuals rather than inventing a percentage. When a lane's carrier pre-collects, the collection happens at dispatch and settles against the real invoice - the estimator shows your freight precisely, and the duty reserve stays in your hands. For related reading, the customs FAQ covers country mechanics, and the cost guide walks the full US cost anatomy with live numbers.

A final calibration on trust: figures without dates are how shipping myths spread. The 120%-to-54% move, the $100 specific duty, the 12%-to-25% pre-collection - each was true on its date and each has been misquoted somewhere by now. When a forum comment cites a tariff number, ask two questions: which carrier, and as of when? The archived notice chain in this article is our answer for our own claims; hold every other source to the same standard.

A precision note on the table itself: dates above are posting or effective dates exactly as printed on each archived notice; where a policy change was announced earlier, we anchor to the notice you can still open today - the paper trail matters more than the rumor.

FAQ

Is the US $800 de minimis exemption gone?: Yes - the duty-free treatment for low-value China/Hong Kong parcels ended in 2025, and the regime is now pre-collected tariffs: the archived carrier notice chain shows 120% → 54% + $100/parcel from May 12, 2025, with carriers settling against actual customs invoices.
What is the current China Post pre-collection rate for US parcels?: Per the carrier notice posted July 15, 2026 (effective July 18, 2026), the duty pre-collection rate on China Post's US-bound EUB route rose from 12% to 25%, settled on a refund-over/charge-under basis against the actual invoice. Rates are per carrier and per line - customs actuals prevail.
Does BUYCN collect duty from me?: BUYCN does not fabricate or collect US duty rates - the estimator prices freight precisely and leaves duty as customs actuals. On pre-collection lines the carrier collects at dispatch and settles later against the real invoice; refunds and top-ups both happen.
Did the EU change its rules too?: Yes - per the archived carrier notice, the EU abolished the €150 duty exemption effective July 1, 2026, calculating duty by 6-digit HS code regardless of parcel count; some lines began pre-collecting €3 per HS-code category from late June 2026.
Where can I verify these dates?: Every dated fact on this page comes from archived carrier/platform notices captured in our Sep-Oct 2026 verification pack. For live questions, the line card in the estimator and your carrier's invoice are the authoritative sources - clearance actuals prevail.

Fee basis: freight figures are published on-site reference baselines (selling-rate basis) - live estimator quotes and outbound actuals prevail; import duties/taxes are determined by your customs authority. BUYCN does not provide duty-paid (tax-inclusive) shipping.