[wffurr]

Nothing to do with tariffs, which is clear in the first paragraph:

Effective April 5, 2025, all shipments to the U.S. with a declared customs value over USD 800 require formal entry processing - down from the previous USD 2,500 threshold due to new U.S. Customs regulations.

[throwaway36834]

$800 is the threshold for different tariff rules, so yes it is absolutely related. Those would previously have fallen under de minimis rules, but as of May 2 these are rescinded.

> All postal items containing goods described in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14195 and sent to the United States through the international postal network from the PRC or Hong Kong and transported by carriers that are valued at or under 800 dollars and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption authorized in 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) shall be subject to the duties described in subsection (c) of this section.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/04/07/2025-06...

[colingauvin]

You're almost correct but in this case they are suspending shipments for over $800, not under. This doesn't appear to be caused by any changes to the de minimis rules, but rather the rules for the tier after de minimis

And what an odd comment to use a throwaway for...

[LoganDark]

> And what an odd comment to use a throwaway for...

Certain people seem to use throwaways for every comment or spree of comments.

[Wowfunhappy]

Those people are breaking the site guidelines:

> Throwaway accounts are ok for sensitive information, but please don't create accounts routinely. HN is a community—users should have an identity that others can relate to.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

[LoganDark]

ah, whoops

[adolph]

certainly strange if not conspiracy

[collingreen]

I'm curious why "new customs regulations" makes you think "nothing to do with tariffs". I'm no expert in this space but that sounds like it can include tariffs to me, and there has been a lot of significant and fluctuating new tariff regulation.

[Aurornis]

The threshold change is part of the new tariff changes. They have removed de minimis exemptions for tariffs and require further tariff handling at lower value thresholds (the $800 threshold here)

So yes, it is related to the tariff changes.

[ummonk]

That’s tariffs. Goods under $800 have de minimis exemption from tariffs.

[Aurornis]

Unfortunately that is also going away as part of the tariff laws.

Ordering even a $5 part from out of the country is now going to be very expensive due to tariffs and the brokerage fees you will be charged for them to process the tariffs.

Doing all of the paperwork and payment processing for the tariffs adds a lot of overhead so they’re going to have to make it up with extra fees.

[mindslight]

Aliexpress already dealt with something similar years back when they had to stop using USPS for brokerage. They've got their own in-US logistics now - "SpeedX". I ordered some things this month - 9 days to my door, delivered in a consumer vehicle. I suspect within a month or maybe two of the de minimis rule going away, we will see Aliexpress start doing something like showing the additional tariffs at checkout and handling the clearance at scale.

Not that Krasnov's blockade isn't horrible, of course. It just seems primed to backfire here as well, like the rest of the destructionists' purported agenda. Underemployed people in a collapsed economy are more likely to try scrimping every last penny they can by shopping at places other than convenient-but-overpriced Amazon. I wouldn't be surprised if direct from China purchases actually went up as a proportion of sales.

[TechDebtDevin]

Yes, but they are overhauling that. De minimis is going away for Chinese goods (and definately did give companies like ali express an unfair advantage with price conscious shoppers).

I honestly dont know how the IOT space is going to manage. Espressif microcontrollers that used to cost < $2.00 that you could slap in a security camera are going to cost $50.00 now.

[II2II]

I also wonder how it is going to affect the US's ability to develop their electronics industry in the long term. It's not just manufacturing and components at stake here. Many people are exposed to and learn about electronics design through less expensive Chinese products. Maybe American companies will step up and address these markets again. Maybe. Or maybe not.

[TechDebtDevin]

Well those manufacturers rely on those compnents. Maybe Texas Instruments and the likes can takr over, but even TI has a factory in china with 3 others worldwide, but there arent many that can. Noones going to invest in these types of factories either, not on a 3 year timeline... Everything is juat going to cost a ton until people realize.

[coliveira]

I don't think this rule will be applied only to Chinese goods. Otherwise a simple strategy for Chinese firms is to send product to another country and then to the USA.

[throwaway36834]

> Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order eliminating duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value imports from China, a critical step in countering the ongoing health emergency posed by the illicit flow of synthetic opioids into the U.S.

> All relevant postal items containing goods that are sent through the international postal network that are valued at or under $800 and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption are subject to a duty rate of either 30% of their value or $25 per item (increasing to $50 per item after June 1, 2025).

https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/04/fact-sheet-pr...

[ummonk]

Yeah, but the exception is still be in place for non-Chinese shipments, right?

[occz]

It's getting removed too, on 2025-05-02, unless amended.