Starting August 29, 2025, shopping from overseas is about to get more expensive.
The U.S. will eliminate the $800 de minimis rule, an exemption that has long allowed low-value shipments to enter the country duty-free and with minimal paperwork. This change is designed to close loopholes in international trade but will have a direct and immediate effect on the prices you pay for goods from abroad, the speed of delivery, and the variety of products available.
$30 cotton slippers from China will now cost $45, a $37 nutritional supplement from Canada will cost $60, and a Japanese chef’s knife formerly priced at $240 will now cost just shy of $300. And if that wasn’t bad enough, returns will now be subject to a second round of tariffs, making them expensive and likely impractical.