What changed, in one paragraph
The de minimis exemption let one parcel per person per day enter the US duty-free if its value was under $800. Dropshipping from China ran on it: the factory shipped a single parcel to a single customer, and nobody paid duty. With the exemption ended for Chinese goods, each of those parcels needs a customs entry and pays the applicable duty, including Section 301 tariffs on Chinese-origin goods.
What a customs entry actually costs
A customs entry has fixed costs that do not scale with the number of units inside. The main ones:
- Brokerage fee: typically $75–150 per entry for a standard commercial shipment.
- Merchandise Processing Fee: 0.3464% of value, with a minimum around $33 and a cap around $630 per formal entry.
- Harbor Maintenance Fee on sea freight: 0.125% of value.
- Duties: the HTS rate for your product plus Section 301 tariffs for Chinese origin. For most consumer goods the combined rate is well into double digits.
- Customs bond: a continuous bond runs roughly $400–600 per year and covers unlimited entries.
The duty line is the same whether you import one unit or 10,000: it is a percentage of value. The brokerage, MPF minimum and handling are per entry. That is the whole argument for bulk.
Parcels vs one bulk entry: 1,000 units
Take 1,000 units of a $12 product, 0.4 kg each, sold to US customers. Two ways to move them:
| Per-parcel from China | One bulk shipment, DDP | |
|---|---|---|
| Customs events | 1,000 informal entries | 1 formal entry |
| Brokerage / clearance | $4–9 per parcel (courier handling + entry) | $85–150 total |
| Duty | Same % rate, assessed 1,000 times | Same % rate, assessed once |
| Freight | Courier, $18–30 per parcel | Sea LCL $190/m³ + US last mile ≈ $0.9–1.6 per unit |
| Delivery time | 10–20 days to each customer | 30–45 days to your 3PL, then 2–5 days domestic |
| Added cost per unit | $22–39 | $2–4 |
The per-unit gap is $20 or more. On a $12 product that is the difference between a business and a hobby. The bulk route needs working capital for stock and a US 3PL or Amazon FBA for fulfilment, which is why most sellers who survived the change moved to a bulk-import model.
Break-even order size
Below a certain shipment value, formal entry costs eat the saving. In our quotes the line is around $3,000 of goods per shipment: under that, brokerage and the MPF minimum push the fixed cost above 5% of value and a parcel forwarder or a consolidated courier shipment is the better call. Above roughly $8,000, sea LCL with DDP terms is almost always the cheapest cost per unit.
Rule of thumb: if you sell more than 300 units a month of anything, you are a bulk importer now, whether you have called yourself one or not.
What to do this quarter
- Get your products classified (10-digit HTS codes) so duty is predictable before you order.
- Move to 30–60 days of stock in a US 3PL or FBA; one entry per restock instead of one per order.
- Ask suppliers for DDP quotes or use an agent who quotes landed cost: goods, freight, duties and delivery in one number.
- Keep a continuous customs bond if you will import more than four times a year.
Frequently asked
Does the end of de minimis apply to goods from other countries? +
The change was introduced for Chinese and Hong Kong origin goods first and has been extended more broadly. For Chinese-made goods, assume every shipment is dutiable regardless of value.
Can I still dropship from China to the US? +
Technically yes, but each parcel now carries duty and clearance fees of roughly $4–9 plus courier freight. For products under $30 the economics rarely work; bulk import with a US 3PL is the model that does.
What is the minimum order that makes bulk import worthwhile? +
From about $3,000 of goods per shipment the fixed entry costs fall below 5% of value. Below that, a consolidated courier shipment is usually cheaper.
Want these numbers for your product?
Send a product link or a rough brief. You get real factory quotes and a landed-cost breakdown (goods, freight, duties, delivery) for your market within 48 hours. Free.
Figures are indicative floor rates and typical fee ranges on our lanes as of Oct 11, 2026. Duty rates depend on your product's tariff code and declared value. This is general information, not customs or legal advice.