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De Minimis

De minimis was the quiet subsidy underneath a decade of direct-from-China ecommerce. Parcels below a threshold entered duty free with light documentation, and entire business models were priced on the assumption it would hold. It has not held. The US, the EU and others have all moved to close or narrow it, and the direction of travel is one way. If your unit economics depend on a low-value exemption, this is the tag to watch. We cover threshold changes, the effective dates that matter, the documentation that replaces the exemption, and the models sellers are switching to: bulk import with domestic distribution, hybrid inventory positions, or DDP with duty priced in from the start. Losing de minimis does not end direct-from-China. It ends pricing it as if duty were free.

Rework your landed cost

Recent de minimis stories

Briefings covering de minimis

4 stories

China Freight Rates Split as EU Customs Bite Imports

China to North Europe air rates fell 7% last week while transpacific air rose 3%, so your lane choice now decides your margin. The EU’s abolished €150 customs exemption is showing up in the data, with China and Hong Kong imports at Frankfurt down 1.8% and 7.4% in September. China’s September trade surplus hit $133.5 billion, which keeps tariff pressure from Brussels and Washington running hot into 2027 contract season.

  • Air Freight
  • Sea Freight
  • Peak Season

3 stories

China rates split: Transpacific holds, Europe falls again

The container rate gap between Asia-US and Asia-Europe has reached historic levels, with Transpacific gains slowing to 2% this week after September’s sprint while Europe drops for the 12th consecutive week. Air cargo enters Q4 peak with capacity tight on tech lanes and loose everywhere else, meaning your routing choice now determines whether you get space or pay double.

  • Sea Freight
  • Peak Season
  • EU Customs

4 stories

China tariff deal skips soybeans, port fees still live

China and the US announced tariff cuts on $30bn of goods each, covering 1,696 product lines, but the deal lands too late to change weakening transpac rates and does not touch the port fees on Chinese-built and Chinese-operated vessels, which restart 10 November unless USTR acts. Soybeans remain subject to an additional 10% tariff in China, and the whole deal still requires domestic legal procedures before it takes effect.

  • Sea Freight
  • Tariffs & Duties
  • US Customs

3 stories

China ecommerce exports to EU fall 65% in August

Chinese ecommerce exports to the EU fell 65% year on year in August, the second month of collapse since the €3-per-item fee took effect. Meanwhile, container schedule reliability on Far East–Europe dropped to 6%, with delays averaging 8.2 days, levels not seen since late 2021. If you have stock moving through Europe right now, your arrival date is fiction.

  • Air Freight
  • EU Customs
  • De Minimis

4 stories

China air cargo splits: US lanes up 13%, EU down 14%

Air cargo out of China and Hong Kong split hard in August: US volumes up 13% year on year, Europe down 14%, with Hong Kong to Europe worst at minus 30%. Ocean rates are easing off peak but bunker fuel at June levels means they will not fall far, and typhoon congestion is keeping capacity tight.

  • Air Freight
  • EU Customs
  • De Minimis

4 stories

China opens Pinglu Canal, air cargo drops, Shanghai omitted

China opens the Pinglu Canal on 15 September, halving transport costs from Nanning to South-east Asia. Hong Kong to Europe air cargo tonnages fell 30% year on year in August as EU duty changes persist. Gemini dropped Shanghai from its Asia shuttle, citing reliability, whilst typhoon delays at Shanghai and Ningbo exceed 10 days.

  • Sea Freight
  • Sourcing
  • Ports & Congestion

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