US Customs and Border Protection has made the suspension of the $800 duty-free postal allowance indefinite in its regulations, effective from 24 July 2026. For people posting goods from Ireland, CBP says the rule introduces a new entry process for goods valued at $2,500 or less.
At a glance
- What changes
- Postal de minimis suspension becomes indefinite
- From
- 24 July 2026
- Postal entry process
- Goods valued at $2,500 or less
- Genuine gifts
- Separate duty exemption up to $100
On this page
What changes for goods posted from Ireland
CBP’s interim final rule covers imports arriving through the international postal network. It suspends the de minimis exemption indefinitely for goods valued at $800 or less.
If you post goods to a customer in the US, check their value against the $2,500 limit for the new postal entry process. That process includes shipments that would previously have qualified for the $800 exemption.
Genuine gifts retain their own exemption
CBP says the rule leaves the separate exemption for bona fide gifts in place. US law provides a duty exemption for genuine gifts valued at $100 or less, sent by people abroad to people in the United States.
If you are posting a present from Ireland, check that it is a genuine gift and falls within that value limit.
The suspension also covers other arrival methods
CBP also published a concurrent rule suspending the $800 exemption indefinitely for goods arriving by every mode outside the international postal network.
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the de minimis exemption will be eliminated in law from 1 July 2027, according to Thompson Hine.
Questions
When does the US postal de minimis rule take effect?
The interim final rule takes effect on 24 July 2026. It makes the suspension indefinite in CBP’s regulations.
Can I still send a duty-free gift from Ireland to the US?
The separate duty exemption remains for genuine gifts valued at $100 or less, sent from people abroad to people in the US.
What value does the new US postal entry process cover?
It covers goods valued at $2,500 or less entering by mail, including shipments previously eligible for de minimis treatment.
Sources
- US Customs and Border Protection (primary source): Indefinite Suspension of the De Minimis Exemption for Mail Shipments and New Postal Informal Entry Process, read 24 June 2026
- Thompson Hine: CBP Issues Interim Final Rules Indefinitely Suspending the De Minimis Exemption for Imports, read 24 June 2026
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PostCompare news desk
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