CBP began developing a system to automate duty and fee calculations for global mail entries in May, but the target deployment date for the functionality is still to be determined, according to the agency's ACE Development and Deployment Schedule for August.
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Australian small businesses were given too little time to comply with the U.S. decision to end the de minimis exemption for low-value imports (see 2508280062), said Don Farrell, Australia’s trade minister. Farrell said he raised Australia’s "disappointment" earlier in the week with U.S. Trade Representative General Counsel Jennifer Thornton, adding that the move is mostly hurting “mum and dad operations that have had a successful product going into” the U.S.
CBP released a Federal Register notice late on Aug. 28 outlining procedures and requirements for the end of the de minimis exemption at 12:01 ET Aug. 29. Among other things, the notice says the executive order ending de mimimis for all countries supersedes the relevant provisions of the earlier executive order that ended de minimis for China, meaning that postal shipments from China entered on or after Aug. 29 will be subject to the same flat-rate duties for postal shipments as all other countries.
CBP is ready to process the low-value packages that used to qualify for de minimis, officials said Aug. 28, hours before the change comes into effect.
CBP has added more parties to the list of those qualified to pay duties on international mail shipments, according to an Aug. 26 cargo systems message. The full list is available here.
More international postal carriers have announced that they are temporarily suspending shipments to the U.S. that would've been eligible for the de minimis exception, according to multiple news sources (see 2508210036).
The Austrian Post, Austria's official mail carrier, confirmed that it will be withholding international mail bound to the U.S. starting Aug. 25 as it and its European carriers seek to comply with regulations related to the end of the de minimis exemption on Aug. 29 (see 2508210036).
The next quarterly meeting of the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee will be on Sept. 17 in Washington, D.C., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. EDT, according to a Federal Register notice. The meeting will be open to the public only via webinar. Comments must be submitted by 5 p.m. EDT on Sept. 12. Meeting materials will be available by going to this site starting Sept. 8.
CBP has updated its e-commerce- and de minimis-related FAQs, according to an Aug. 22 cargo systems message. The FAQs discuss the recent executive order ending de minimis; define the difference between how postal shipments and non-postal shipments will be treated; clarify whether carriers or qualified parties can mix duty methodologies for international mail shipments; provide direction on where filers can find guidance on the payment of duty on international mail shipments; define CBP Form 5106 and describe the process for submitting the form; define how a qualified party can obtain a bond; and clarify which types of international mail are subject to duty, among other questions.