Business, Forwarding, Freight News, Logistics


US customs brokers face biggest shock in a decade as Trump ends de minimus

[ August 1, 2025   //   ]

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive ending deminimis tariffs for imports into the US. The applied to goods valued at $800 or under and was widely used by e-commerce retailers and takes effect from 29 August.

Stephen Dyke, Consultant Manager at visibility specialist FourKites said that the move would instantly reroute more than 1.3 billion parcels a year from a fast track postal channel into full customs entry queues.

He said that e commerce sellers that once moved individual orders by air or mail are already booking consolidated seafreight containers to US distribution centers, which will lift demand on the trans Pacific and Gulf routings while front-loading peak-season volume.

The air cargo industry stood to lose millions of lightweight, high yield parcels. Stripping out a key revenue stream; market watchers warn spot rates could slide below $3 per kilogram if e-commerce traffic moves to sea.

With every package now requiring formal classification and duty payment, customs brokers faced “the largest paperwork shock in a decade.” Ports and express hubs face longer dwell times, and carriers may see fewer small parcel injections but more full truck moves as freight consolidates upstream.

The end of the de minimis exemption has a far-reaching ripple effect. Capacity planning for ocean, air, and inland trucking will revolve around how fast shippers can consolidate inventory and how quickly CBP scales its processing lanes.

Three days, on 1 August, Trump announced a further round of general tariffs on imports from a range of counties, including 50% on goods from Brazil, 30% from South Africa, 39% from Switzerland and a nominal 35% from Canada although most goods are subject to exemption.

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