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Importers will soon need to provide more detailed information on U.S.-bound mail shipments under new rules issued by Customs and Border Protection, likely leading to more duties collected on postal imports.
The agency on Wednesday published an interim final rule that requires additional data for mail imports valued at $2,500 or less that go through CBP's more streamlined informal entry process. The new requirements include a description of the merchandise, all 10-digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule codes, and the quantity and weight if they affect applicable duties. The information must be sent by the seventh day of the month following the package's arrival.
The bulk of the rule's elements take effect on July 24. The change adds to the Trump administration's efforts to collect more information on packages entering the country and crack down on noncompliant importers. Lower-value imports in particular have been subject to government scrutiny — the White House said it eliminated the de minimis exemption last year to halt drug trafficking and instances of importers avoiding tariffs.
“More data and enhanced entry procedures mean that we can target and intercept high-risk shipments with greater precision,” Diane Sabatino, CBP Office of Field Operations executive assistant commissioner, said in a news release. “The more visibility we have into these shipments, the less dangerous, counterfeit, and illicit goods reach American families.”
