For online shops and shippers to the USA, things are getting uncomfortable.
The American customs authority CBP has now permanently enshrined the end of the previous 800 USD duty-free allowance in its regulations. This affects goods from all countries and across all modes of transport.
The duty-free allowance used to mean: Goods valued up to 800 USD could mostly be sent to the USA without customs duties and with simplified processing.
This option is now gone.
This is not entirely new. The USA had already suspended the duty-free allowance worldwide in August 2025. However, the new regulations effective June 24, 2026, will provide a permanent and clearly regulated solution.
The new requirements already apply to courier, express, air, and sea freight shipments. For international postal shipments, a new simplified import procedure will come into effect on July 24.
In the future, small packages will also require clear information about the goods, value, origin, and customs tariff number. Additionally, applicable duties, taxes, and fees will apply.
For DACH online shops, this represents a direct cost blow. An order of 100 or 200 euros is no longer automatically duty-free. Additional costs may arise for customs clearance, brokers, data transmission, and expenses.
Especially for inexpensive products, the clearance can ultimately cost almost more than the goods themselves.