# Ship to the US: de minimis updates and guidance
URL: https://support.starshipit.com/articles/13607268920207-ship-to-the-us-de-minimis-updates-and-guidance
Canonical: https://support.starshipit.com/articles/13607268920207-ship-to-the-us-de-minimis-updates-and-guidance
Markdown: https://support.starshipit.com/articles/13607268920207-ship-to-the-us-de-minimis-updates-and-guidance.md
Updated: 2026-10-26

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://support.starshipit.com/llms.txt).

> Prepare US-bound orders, check customs data and duty payment, and find current courier requirements before shipping.

Prepare your US-bound orders by checking customs details, the selected courier service and who will pay duties and taxes before you print a label.

## Check the rules for your shipment

The US suspended the general **US$800 de minimis exemption** from 29 August 2025. Do not assume a low-value order will enter duty-free. Applicable charges and clearance requirements depend on the goods and shipping route. See [CBP's postal customs guidance](https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2026-21600) and confirm the current requirements with your courier.

Service availability and account requirements can change. Check the current carrier guidance below before dispatch.

## Prepare the order before printing

1. Confirm that your courier accepts the goods, service and destination on your account.
2. Check each item's accurate description, value and currency. Use the actual goods value and your courier's declaration rules; do not apply one blanket minimum value to every courier or shipment type.
3. Add the [country of origin](/articles/360002751836-set-country-of-origin-for-international-shipments), meaning where the goods were manufactured.
4. Check each item's [HS tariff code](/articles/360002120496-set-up-hs-codes-for-international-shipments). Australia Post requires a **10-digit code** for US-bound parcels; check the required format for your own courier.
5. Confirm the duty-payment arrangement and any required courier or customs-provider registration.
6. Open the imported order and check the saved item details and selected service before creating the label.

If information is missing, correct the source product data or matching Product Catalogue entry for future imports. Recheck an existing order separately: changing source data does not itself refresh an already imported order.

## Choose who pays duties and taxes

| Arrangement | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| **DDP (Delivered Duty Paid)** | The sender pays import duties and taxes through the supported courier arrangement. |
| **DDU/DAP** | The receiver pays the import charges under the courier's supported arrangement. Confirm this with the receiver before shipping. |

Availability depends on the courier, service, account and clearance route. Postal duty-collection processes and express-courier billing are different. Do not assume every US shipment uses the same payer or that selecting DDP in Starshipit completes an external registration.

Follow [Choose DDP or DDU for international shipments](/articles/4415554835215-choose-ddp-or-ddu-for-international-shipments) for Starshipit settings. [UPS's customs guidance](https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/international-tools-resources/understanding-customs) explains its sender- and receiver-paid options.

## Check current courier requirements

| Courier | What to check before shipping |
| --- | --- |
| **Australia Post** | Postal sending has resumed. Eligible business shipments use a verified Zonos account for duty collection. Follow [Australia Post and Zonos setup](/articles/13670236989455-ship-to-the-us-with-zonos-and-australia-post) and [Australia Post's US tariff updates](https://auspost.com.au/disruptions-and-updates/international-service-updates/us-tariffs) for account, goods and value limits. |
| **NZ Post** | NZ Post lists Economy, Economy Tracked, Economy Plus and Courier services for eligible on-account business sending. Its [US business-sending guidance](https://www.nzpost.co.nz/about-us/united-states-business-sending) explains duty-paid eligibility, Zonos Lite product-data preparation and the validation dates. |
| **DHL Express, DHL eCommerce, FedEx, UPS and SEKO** | Check the exact service, route, customs data and billing arrangement with your courier. Use [FedEx regulatory updates](https://www.fedex.com/en-us/shipping/international/us-tariffs-impact.html), [UPS customs guidance](https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/international-tools-resources/understanding-customs), or your DHL or SEKO account contact. |

Do not treat a rate quote or an available service name as confirmation that every item can clear customs. Carrier requirements can vary by product and country of manufacture.

## Prepare for upcoming postal checks

[CBP extended the compliance date for certain postal entry requirements to **20 January 2027**](https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2026-21600). Couriers may introduce their own checks earlier:

- **NZ Post** says product-data validation for US-bound Economy and Courier label requests starts on **8 December 2026**. Follow its US business-sending instructions to prepare the required product information in Zonos Lite.
- **Australia Post** says its updated processes are available ahead of the January deadline. Check its US tariff updates for the requirements that apply to your goods and lodgement channel.

Before using a changed process, confirm with the courier or Support that it is supported by your Starshipit connection.

## Offer duties and taxes at checkout

If you want to collect duties and taxes at checkout, see [Starshipit Landed Costs](/articles/13975380558863-starshipit-landed-costs) for supported platforms, couriers and account approval. This is a separate setup from a postal carrier's Zonos registration.

## Resolve a rejected or delayed shipment

- **The label is rejected:** Check the courier's error, product description, HS code, origin, value, currency and any required product registration. Correct the named problem before retrying.
- **A shipment is held or returned:** Ask the courier which declaration or payment requirement failed. Confirm whether a new label is needed before resending; do not reuse a rejected Australia Post label.
- **You are unsure who will be billed:** Confirm the service's payer arrangement with the courier before dispatch. Bring the service name and error message to Support if the Starshipit setting is unclear.