Changes to US customs
Mar 01, 2016
We have been excited to learn about new changes currently being made to modernise and update US Customs policies, in order to reduce the burdens of cross border trade and to reduce bottlenecks.
For some time now, there have been proposals and legislative efforts to increase the ‘de minimis threshold’ on US import shipments as the duty-free exemption of $200 has not been updated in over 20 years.
It appears although these efforts are finally about to pay off as on Wednesday 24th February 2016 $200 to $800. In US law, this means 15 days after the ink has dried on the Bill, the new threshold comes into effect – estimated to be the 11th March 2016 at 12:01am.
In addition to the ‘de minimis threshold’ increase, there are also other provisions in the Bill that could affect imports such as:
- Increased Customs & consumer product safety commission enforcement
- Industry friendly duty drawback provisions
The changes mean larger orders placed with retailers can be processed quickly and easily, without payment of duties and Customs' formal entry process. It will also allow retailers to place several orders together in one package, provided that the $800 retail value threshold is not surpassed.
As soon as we have more information, we will let you know…watch this space!
