What changed on 29 August 2025 — and what replaced the IEEPA tariffs

For nearly a century US Customs let low-value shipments cross the border duty-free under a rule called de-minimis. The threshold was lifted to $800 in 2016, which is what made the modern cross-border e-commerce wave possible. Temu, Shein, AliExpress, and most direct-from-overseas marketplaces built their pricing models around that exemption: ship single parcels straight from a Chinese (or other foreign) warehouse to a US doorstep, declare each one as a low-value personal shipment, pay nothing in duty.

That ended on 29 August 2025. Executive Order 14324 eliminated the de-minimis exemption for commercial shipments from all countries (China-origin shipments had already lost it on 2 May 2025), layered on top of the Section 301 tariffs already in force on Chinese-origin goods. The new baseline is simple to state and expensive to absorb: every package shipped to a US address is now subject to duty plus any applicable tariff add-on, regardless of value.

February 2026: the Supreme Court ruling and the Section 122 tariff

The 2025 executive orders also introduced a set of country-by-country tariffs grounded in the International Emergency Economic Powers Act — the widely reported "IEEPA tariffs". That layer no longer exists. On 20 February 2026 the Supreme Court struck the IEEPA tariffs down in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump (No. 24-1287), holding that IEEPA does not authorize tariffs, and CBP stopped collecting them at 00:00 ET on 24 February 2026.

Three things to understand about the aftermath:

  1. A 10% Section 122 tariff took their place the same day. Effective 24 February 2026, a flat 10% ad valorem tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 (HTSUS subheading 9903.03.01) applies across the board. Section 122 authority runs for 150 days, so the surcharge is scheduled through 24 July 2026 unless Congress extends it or it is replaced.
  2. De-minimis stayed dead. The ruling did not restore the $800 exemption. A new executive order of 20 February 2026 re-grounded the suspension on Sections 301/604 of the Trade Act of 1974, and CBP confirmed on 23 February 2026 that it remains in effect. Every package is still dutiable.
  3. Section 301 and Section 232 were untouched. The China-specific Section 301 lists (7.5–25%) and the product-specific Section 232 tariffs were not part of the case and remain in force.

What that means at checkout

You see one of three things now when ordering from a foreign site:

  1. The platform collects duty upfront — Temu, Shein, and most major marketplaces have rolled out "import fees included" pricing. The line item is real duty being remitted to CBP, and you are paying it whether you notice the line or not.
  2. The courier collects on delivery — UPS, FedEx, DHL, and USPS Priority Mail International each have a brokerage fee plus the duty itself. A $40 AliExpress order can arrive with a bill at the door.
  3. A formal entry is required — for higher-value or restricted goods, you (or a broker on your behalf) file an actual customs entry. This is where bonds and broker fees enter the picture.

The duty rate itself is not new — it is the same HTS-driven percentage that has always applied to commercial imports. What is new is that it now applies to you, the consumer, on a $30 parcel.

How the rate gets picked

Every product imported into the US gets classified under an HTS code — a 10-digit number in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. The first six digits are international (HS6); the last four are US-specific. The duty rate attaches to the code, not the product description, which is why two visually similar items can carry different rates depending on materials and intended use.

On top of the base HTS rate, these tariff layers can apply as of June 2026:

  • Section 301 (China-origin) — a percentage add-on for goods of Chinese origin, varying by list (List 1-4A, 7.5–25%). Unaffected by the February 2026 ruling.
  • Section 122 surcharge (all origins) — the flat 10% tariff in effect 24 February through 24 July 2026, which replaced the struck-down IEEPA layer.
  • Section 232 — product-specific tariffs (steel, aluminium, autos, and other listed goods). Also unaffected by the ruling.
  • Anti-dumping / countervailing duties — case-specific, applies to narrow product categories.
  • Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) and Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF) — small percentages on the entered value.

The duty calculator walks through each layer for the order you are about to place. You enter the country of origin, the rough HTS category (the HTS lookup maps a product description to a code), and the declared value. You get back the duty, the tariff add-on, the courier brokerage estimate, and the all-in landed cost.

Why this matters before you buy

The post-de-minimis world does not change what the rate is — it changes who pays it and when. A pre-checkout duty estimate is the difference between "$28 from Shein" and "$41 total once it shows up." For frequent foreign-site buyers, the cumulative gap is real money. The marketplace tariff checker does that math for Temu, Shein, and AliExpress orders specifically.

This umbrella exists to give you that pre-purchase number, sourced from CBP, USTR, and the live HTSUS, with no login and no upsell.

This site is editorial reference, not legal or customs advice. For commercial imports above $2,500 or restricted-category goods, consult a licensed customs broker.

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