What did de minimis actually do?

It let a parcel under a value threshold, $800 in the US and 150 euros in the EU, enter without duty and without a formal customs entry. Every direct-from-China ecommerce model was built on it.

What does a parcel from China to a US customer pay now?

Duty at the tariff rate for the product and country of origin, charged on the value of the package, plus a clearance or brokerage fee from the carrier. For apparel from China the combined rate is in the mid 30s percent as of September 2026, and it is charged on what your customer paid, not on what you paid the factory.

What does a parcel from China to an EU customer pay now?

A flat 3 euro customs duty per item, VAT on the value, and from November 2026 a proposed handling fee. IOSS still applies for VAT collection at checkout.

Is there any way to avoid duty?

No. What you can change is the base it is charged on and how often you pay the clearance fee. Import in bulk under your own commercial invoice and clear once, then fulfill domestically.

Do I need a US warehouse to keep selling?

Not immediately. Under about ten US orders a day, shipping direct from China with duties declared correctly is still cheaper overall. Above that, US stock usually wins. The break-even depends on your retail price and weight.

Fulfillment · Policy · Updated 2026-09-22

De minimis is gone. Here is how small brands still ship from China.

Short answer: you cannot avoid the duty any more, but you can choose what it is charged on and how often you pay to clear it. Import in bulk, clear once, ship US orders from a US warehouse. Keep shipping the rest of the world direct from China with duties declared. That is the whole playbook, and the rest of this page is the detail.

What changed, and when

May 2, 2025
US suspends duty-free de minimis for goods from China and Hong Kong.
Aug 29, 2025
US suspends de minimis for every country. Every parcel now pays duty.
Feb 28, 2026
US postal parcels must use the ad valorem method: duty is the country's effective tariff rate applied to the value of each package.
Jul 1, 2026
EU abolishes the 150 euro exemption. A flat 3 euro customs duty per item replaces it, on top of VAT.
Jul 24, 2026
US postal imports of $2,500 or less move to a new entry process: 10-digit HTS codes, a continuous bond, a monthly duty worksheet.
Nov 1, 2026 (proposed)
EU-wide handling fee on low-value parcels, in addition to the 3 euro duty.

What a parcel pays now

Into the US: duty at the product's tariff rate for its country of origin, charged on the value of the package, plus a carrier clearance fee. For a consumer parcel the value is what the customer paid. For apparel from China the combined rate is in the mid 30s percent as of September 2026.

Into the EU: a flat 3 euro customs duty per item regardless of value, VAT as before, and a proposed handling fee from November 2026. The per-item rule means a parcel with three tees pays 9 euros in duty.

The three ways to keep shipping

Bulk to a US warehouse, fulfill domestically

Your factory ships cartons to Los Angeles. One customs entry on your commercial invoice value. US orders ship ground or expedited with no per-parcel duty or clearance. Wins once US volume is steady.

Direct from China, duties declared

Your factory delivers to a warehouse in Dongguan that ships every order tracked, with duty calculated and declared so nothing is collected at the door. Wins for low volume, pre-orders, and every non-US destination.

Both, routed per order

Los Angeles for US orders, Dongguan for the rest of the world and for US pre-orders while a restock is in transit. What most brands end up running.

What to do this month

Find out what your parcels are being valued at. If it is the retail price, your duty bill is several times what a bulk import would pay.
Check whether your carrier is collecting duty from your customer at the door. Surprise charges are the top cause of refused deliveries since 2025.
Count your US orders per day. Under about ten, stay direct. Over that, price a bulk shipment.
For Europe, confirm your IOSS registration and that the 3 euro per item duty is in your landed cost.
If you sell on pre-order, keep a China-side lane open. Bulk shipments cannot ship a drop the day it is made.

Questions

What did de minimis actually do?: It let a parcel under a value threshold, $800 in the US and 150 euros in the EU, enter without duty and without a formal customs entry. Every direct-from-China ecommerce model was built on it.
What does a parcel from China to a US customer pay now?: Duty at the tariff rate for the product and country of origin, charged on the value of the package, plus a clearance or brokerage fee from the carrier. For apparel from China the combined rate is in the mid 30s percent as of September 2026, and it is charged on what your customer paid, not on what you paid the factory.
What does a parcel from China to an EU customer pay now?: A flat 3 euro customs duty per item, VAT on the value, and from November 2026 a proposed handling fee. IOSS still applies for VAT collection at checkout.
Is there any way to avoid duty?: No. What you can change is the base it is charged on and how often you pay the clearance fee. Import in bulk under your own commercial invoice and clear once, then fulfill domestically.
Do I need a US warehouse to keep selling?: Not immediately. Under about ten US orders a day, shipping direct from China with duties declared correctly is still cheaper overall. Above that, US stock usually wins. The break-even depends on your retail price and weight.

We run both lanes

Alan King Group fulfills Shopify orders from Dongguan and Los Angeles. Tell us your volume and destinations and we will say which lane fits, with per-order pricing, within 2 business days.

Get a routing plan and quote →

Sources

This page is refreshed each time a rule changes. Last checked 2026-09-22.