22 October 2026: the end of cheap postal entry for most parcels to the US

What the rule says

CBP's interim final rule of 24 June 2026 set 22 October 2026 as the compliance date for 19 CFR 145.12(a)(2)(v) and (vi). After that date, postal informal entry is limited to mail worth $2,500 or less whose goods are classifiable only in HTSUS chapters 1–97. Mail needs a formal entry instead if it is:

• subject to any additional duty under chapter 99 of the tariff schedule, which is where Section 301, 232 and 201 duties sit;
• subject to Partner Government Agency requirements, such as FDA rules for food, cosmetics and supplements, USDA rules, or FCC rules for most electronics;
• claiming duty-free treatment under Chapter 98 or a free trade agreement;
• subject to an antidumping or countervailing duty order, or a quota.

CBP describes the grace period before 22 October as narrow. For sellers the change is not narrow, because of the first item on that list.

Why it covers almost every parcel

The 2026 Section 301 forced-labour duties are written into the tariff schedule as chapter 99 headings, 9903.05.20 to 9903.05.84. Every origin on this site carries one: India 10%, China 12.5%, Vietnam 12.5%, United Kingdom 10%, Canada 10%, Mexico 10%, Japan 12.5% (cap), Germany 10% (cap), France 10% (cap), Italy 10% (cap), Australia 12.5%, Türkiye 12.5%. Many Chinese goods also carry the 2018 Section 301 lists, which are chapter 99 too. From these countries, the only parcels that stay on postal informal entry are products on the Section 301 annex exemption list, and then only if nothing else on the list above applies.

There is one gap in the rule. For the EU, Japan and the other economies where the duty is a cap, a product whose ordinary rate is already above the cap owes no extra duty. The rule does not say whether that product still counts as subject to chapter 99. Plan as if it does.

What replaces it

The Entry Type 13 test. This is an electronic informal mail entry filed in CBP's ACE system, and CBP scheduled it to open on 22 September 2026. It is the one informal route left for mail carrying chapter 99 duties or agency requirements. It is a voluntary test, and CBP can end it with a Federal Register notice. Only the owner or purchaser of the goods may file it, or a licensed customs broker that they or the consignee appoint. Foreign postal operators, USPS, forwarders and carriers have to go through a broker. A bond is required, and the filer must send every 10-digit HTSUS classification, chapter 99 ones included. Goods under antidumping or countervailing duty orders or quotas cannot use it.

Formal mail entry. This is the full entry under 19 CFR 145.12(a), made by the owner, the purchaser or a licensed broker, with a bond.

Fees. Neither route adds a CBP fee for ordinary mail, because merchandise imported by mail is exempt from the merchandise processing fee under 19 CFR 24.23(c)(1)(v). The exception is an Inbound EMS item, such as international Speed Post, that is formally entered. It pays the normal formal-entry fee: 0.3464% of value, with a minimum of $34.58 in FY2027. What does change is the filing charge. A broker filing a formal or Entry Type 13 entry will charge for the work, and that cost gets passed on to someone. We do not quote a figure, because none is published that we can verify.

What to do before 22 October

1. Ask your postal operator now how it will handle US-bound parcels from 22 October. Find out whether it or a partner broker will file Entry Type 13 or formal entries, what it will charge, and who pays.
2. Put the 10-digit HTSUS code and the country of origin on the CN22 or CN23 for every item. Whoever files the entry needs both.
3. Compare post against courier again. A courier files an Entry Type 11 informal entry for chapter 99 goods up to $2,500, because CBP suspended the old $250 limit in September 2025, and that route does not change on 22 October. The calculator shows both modes.
4. Tell your US buyers that postal parcels may take longer to clear and may carry a filing charge, so it does not arrive as a surprise.

What could still change

On 8 October 2026 CBP proposed making Entry Type 13 a permanent entry type, and dropping the $250 chapter 99 limit from the informal entry rules for good. Comments close on 7 December 2026, and nothing changes until a final rule is published. CBP could also move the 22 October date. If it does, we will update this page and record it in the changelog.