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by tlogan 301 days ago
Both UPS and FedEx have been handling this correctly for years. They provide a simple option where you can choose who pays the tariffs (the shipper or the recipient). If it is the recipient, you just include their email and phone number so they can be contacted.

The “only” difference now is that the $800 limit no longer applies, so every shipment must include this information.

Which basically means end of Temu, Alibaba express, majority of Etsy sellers, etc.

3 comments

Yes, UPS and FedEx have supported customs processing for a long time, but many direct-to-consumer vendors from China are using USPS directly via China Post, which does not.

I believe there are other models now (e.g. where shipping companies bulk-import and customs clear shipments and then hand them off to USPS inside the US as domestic shipments), but the "direct parcel" USPS route going away for all formerly de-minimis-exempt parcels is still going to have a huge impact, without even considering import tariffs directly.

Advice to US international shippers: When shipping to Canada, UPS is the worst. They charge an arm and a leg to process the paperwork (often to the point where their brokerage fees outsize the actual duties and taxes owed), and even after I told them multiple times to use my own customs broker they seemed to "forget" or play games like delaying release of the needed paperwork. USPS is most reasonable, Purolator is OK, FedEx is still expensive but marginally better.
Good point. The issue is, according to OP, that they don't yet know how to calculate the correct amount for new rules going into effect in 3 days, or at any rate have that knowledge implemented into their systems.
The rule is from April 2, 2025 but we were all thinking about TACOs.

But the congress passed the bill to permanently repeals the legal basis for the de minimis exemption so no more TACOs. And I love TACOs…

End of de minimus means you have to calculate taxes on a lot more packages; but you have to know what the tariffs are to calculate them, and it seems like that's been going all over the place, and could change again at any time?
It's not just about not being able to calculate the correct amount – they don't have a scalable way of charging anyone for it!
Puts the crimp on shipping personal birthday or holiday presents also. People will have to purchase within the US, which presents problems for many folks being unable to pay for such purchases.