The $800 De Minimis Exemption Is Gone: How Amazon FBA Sellers Must Now Ship from China to USA

For years, sellers shipping small packages from China to US customers relied on one rule: packages valued under $800 entered the United States duty-free. That rule no longer exists.

The Trump administration formally ended the De Minimis exemption for Chinese goods in 2025, and in February 2026 extended the suspension to all countries. Every package from China to the US, regardless of value, is now subject to US import duties.

For Amazon FBA sellers who built their supply chain around small-parcel, duty-free shipping from China, the math has changed permanently. This article explains what changed, what it costs, and why formal FBA freight forwarding from China is now the correct structure for most sellers.

What the De Minimis Exemption Was — And What Ending It Means

Under Section 321 of the US Tariff Act, packages valued below $800 could enter the United States without paying import duties. This exemption was used extensively by direct-to-consumer sellers and some FBA sellers to move inventory from China without the cost of formal customs entry.

Since the exemption ended, every shipment from China — regardless of size or value — must go through formal US customs entry and pay applicable duties.

Current US duty rate on Chinese goods: 10% (following the mid-2026 US-China trade agreement, down from the 145% peak in 2025).

For a seller importing $15products,thedutycostis$15products,thedutycostis1.50 per unit. On 2,000 units, that is $3,000 in duties that previously did not exist. This cost is unavoidable. The question is how to structure the shipment so that duties are calculated correctly, filed efficiently, and not added as a surprise charge after the cargo moves.

Why FBA Freight Forwarding from China Is Now the Standard Answer

With De Minimis gone, the operational structure that makes the most sense for FBA sellers is formal freight forwarding from China with DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) terms.

DDP means CDT handles everything: origin pickup, ocean or air freight, AMS pre-filing, US customs entry with duty payment at the current 10% tariff rate, and last-mile delivery to your Amazon FBA warehouse. One invoice. Duties included. No separate customs broker engagement needed.

The alternative — DAP (Delivered At Place), where the seller handles customs entry independently — requires an active relationship with a US customs broker, knowledge of HS code classification, and the administrative capacity to manage formal entries. For most FBA sellers focused on their product business, DDP is simpler and the total cost is predictable.

What Formal FBA Freight Forwarding from China Looks Like in Practice

This is the process CDT runs for every China-to-USA FBA shipment:

Factory pickup within 30km of CDT's Shenzhen or Yiwu warehouses at no charge. Your supplier hands over the cargo. CDT takes it from there.

FBA prep at CDT's China warehouse: FNSKU labeling, polybagging, protective packaging, 100% cargo count. All included. No extra charge. This matters because Amazon stopped providing prep services in the US on January 1, 2026.

AMS pre-filing with US Customs completed in 1 to 2 days before vessel departure. Included in the standard quote.

Ocean transit: 18 to 22 days to US West Coast or East Coast ports. CDT's contracted capacity with DHL, FedEx, UPS, and DAP means stable space and preferential rates — not subject to spot market spikes that currently show West Coast rates at $4,450to$4,450to5,900 per FEU.

Formal US customs entry with duty payment at the current tariff rate. CDT's clearance success rate: 99%.

Last-mile delivery to your designated Amazon FBA warehouse. Cargo arrives dock-ready. No re-packing needed. Cargo damage rate below 0.3%.

The Cost Comparison: Small Parcel vs Formal FBA Freight

Before De Minimis ended, sellers might have compared small-parcel shipping with formal freight forwarding and chosen small parcel for low-value shipments. That comparison no longer applies.

The relevant comparison now is between different formal freight options: LCL sea freight DDP vs air freight DDP vs express.

For regular restocks of 200kg or more, LCL sea freight at 18 to 22 days is the cost-efficient baseline. For urgent restocks where stockout risk is imminent, air freight at 3 to 7 days is the correct choice regardless of the per-kg premium.

Sensitive goods — electronics, lithium batteries, liquids, powders — ship with zero surcharge on both modes at CDT.

The Bottom Line

The De Minimis exemption created a structural arbitrage that no longer exists. Sellers who have not restructured their China supply chain to account for formal customs entry are facing duties they have not priced into their unit economics.

CDT's DDP service absorbs all of this complexity into one number quoted before the cargo moves. Duties at the current tariff rate. No separate customs invoice. No surprise charges after delivery.

11 years. 10,000+ FBA shipments. 99% clearance success rate. Cargo damage below 0.3%.

Send CDT your product category, weight, dimensions, and destination Amazon FBA warehouse. A complete all-in DDP quote comes back within 2 hours.

→ Get your free quote at cdtshipping.com