US proposes bonds and earlier customs filing for imports under $2,500

US Customs and Border Protection has proposed new rules for imports valued at $2,500 or less. Published in the Federal Register on October 8, the proposal would make importers file customs entries on or before the day goods arrive, and hold a customs bond for every such entry. Comments are open until December 7, 2026. Nothing has changed yet, and CBP has not set a start date.

The proposal follows the end of duty free treatment for small parcels. The $800 de minimis exemption has been suspended since August 29, 2025, and a 2025 law ends it for good on July 1, 2027. CBP says it expects the number of low value shipments to remain "problematically high".

The Proposal Includes:

• Earlier filing. Informal entries would be filed electronically on or before the day of arrival, instead of within 15 days after.
• A bond for every filer. Anyone filing these entries would need a customs bond, with damages of at least $1,000 for each breach.
• A new entry type for post. Parcels sent by mail would need their own entry, including the sender's details and a tracking number.
• Abandonment after 15 days. Postal parcels with no entry within 15 days would be treated as abandoned, and the Postal Service could return or destroy them.
• A broker in some cases. When the person receiving the goods is not the owner or buyer, a licensed customs broker would have to act as importer of record.

CBP estimates that brokers may charge about $30 more per postal entry, and says it cannot certify that the rule avoids a significant impact on small businesses.

What it means for buyers

• Direct to backer shipping may cost more. If each reward travels from China as its own parcel, each parcel is an import. Ask your shipping partner how they file entries today and who would hold the bond.
• Compare shipping in bulk. One shipment to a US fulfillment partner means one entry instead of hundreds. Weigh that against the cost of storage and delivery inside the US.
• Know your importer of record. Make sure your shipping setup names the right party, since the proposal would require a broker when the recipient is not the owner or buyer.
• Plan 2027 campaigns with this in mind. Final rules can take months after comments close, but de minimis ends by law in July 2027 either way.
• Have your say. Creators and small businesses can comment on regulations.gov under docket USCBP-2026-0298 until December 7.

This article is general information and not legal or customs advice.

Top image: CBP officers inspect parcels at the Port of Philadelphia. James Tourtellotte, US Customs and Border Protection, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Source: US Customs and Border Protection, via the Federal Register