CBP proposes electronic filing by arrival and bonds for low-value shipments

Our read

If adopted as proposed, single-item direct mail is hit hardest: the official cost analysis for postal Type 13 assumes $30 more in entry costs per shipment, which is $30 per item for a one-item parcel or $3 each for ten. That is an estimate, not a fee. For now, complete the recipient data in your orders and compare real quotes for direct mail versus bulk shipping to a US warehouse.

Key dates

1. 2026-10-08Published
2. 2026-10-23We checked the official text
3. 2026-12-07upcomingPublic comment deadline, not the effective date of the proposed requirements

Proposed rule with no confirmed effective date. December 7, 2026 is the comment deadline, not an implementation date; the 2027 scenario in the cost analysis is not a commitment to that start date.

Who is affected

• Sellers importing eligible shipments worth $2,500 or less as Type 11 nonpostal informal entries face proposed changes to filing timing, electronic submission and bonds.
• Direct postal sellers face a proposed regulatory Type 13 electronic filing process with additional sender and final-delivery information requirements.
• Ordinary shipments above $2,500 already using formal entry are not the main target of this informal-entry reform, and the proposal does not restore the $800 exemption.
• This remains a proposal; the comment deadline is not an implementation date. The existing Type 13 test has its own requirements that still apply.

Run the numbers

The notice uses $30 as an estimated increase in brokerage cost for postal Type 13 entries, not a set price. This isolates fixed-fee allocation, assuming one entry can legitimately hold either 1 or 10 units for the same $30; it does not assume orders for different recipients can be combined. The link opens 1 unit; change quantity to 10 for the second row. Goods are assumed at $20 each and other service costs at zero. Compare only the brokerage component; the tool’s automatically calculated duties and fees are not a forecast of a postal invoice under the proposal.

Recalculate in the Landed cost and profit per unit

What to do

• Check that orders can export the final recipient’s name and address. The proposal calls for extra identification if this differs from the ultimate consignee; postal entries also need the sender’s identity and address.
• Discuss a process for complete electronic filing on or before arrival, identify the bond provider and obtain separate bond and brokerage pricing.
• Model higher per-entry brokerage as a separate scenario. Do not present the $30 used in the official analysis as an enacted government fee.
• If you have concrete cost or data-transfer concerns, consider commenting under docket USCBP-2026-0298 by December 7, 2026, and monitor the final rule.

What the official text says

Quoted from the official text.

Sources

• Low-Value Shipments

We checked the official text on 2026-10-23. Rules can change again; the latest official publication prevails.

Related updates

• Certain postal entry requirements deferred to January 20, 2027Small parcels · 2026-10-22
• Postal Type 13 test: entries accepted without complete partner-agency data for nowSmall parcels · 2026-10-22
• New informal entry process for international mailSmall parcels · 2026-06-24
• Nonpostal de minimis suspension enters regulationsSmall parcels · 2026-06-24

See all cross-border updates