Unexpected fees come with the end of de minimis, surprising consumers
Every year, Carlos Soto, a resident of Ventura County, buys a Liverpool Football Club jersey to celebrate the beginning of his son’s football season. This year was delivered with an additional invoice of $ 107.
“The UPS said he couldn’t release the man unless he pays any more,” said Soto, the owner of Historia Bakery Cafe in Thouseand Oaks. “Until this tariff started, there was never an invoice above my purchase.”
Soto refused to pay and asked for a refund for the form he bought from the team’s official website for about $ 150.
Since President Trump reversed a decades of tariff policy known as minimis in August, those who shop online like Soto are sometimes hit by high, unexpected extra accusations.
Also minimis would allow goods with less than $ 800 to enter the country without a customs. According to US customs and border protection, the tariff exemption applied to more than 1.30 billion packages sent to the USA from abroad in 2024.
Social media is full of reports of individuals fighting with surprise invoices for delivery. On Facebook and elsewhere, buyers take about hundreds of dollars due to mouse pads, makeup and bridesmaid dresses. One person At Reddit A fee of $ 4,700 in a private table chair from Bulgaria.
While new fees are usually cooked according to product prices, some goods go down in America without paying tariffs. That’s when the person who gets the package is expected to be a fork on the difference.
Package distribution companies are trying to train consumers about the new tariff regime, but some are still surprised.
POWER SUPPLYFedex and DHL published frequently asked questions and Online resources To support customers who can owe tariffs to their belongings. When unexpected invoices are presented, many customers call complaints or confusion.
“Our intermediary services are designed to ensure that shipments comply with regulations. [and] Pay the necessary tasks and taxes, ”said UPS spokesman, Jim Mayer.“ If the sender or the buyer has not paid these costs, the UPS will produce an invoice, so that the shipment can be released by customs and limit protection. ”
Mark Hartlidge, a small package compatible manager at UPS, called this year’s changes in a web seminar hosted for customers.
“If you import something to the United States, you are probably impressed,” he said in July. “It can be very difficult to understand these changes.”
Large companies and online retailers have personnel and infrastructure to make the transition without any problems, while smaller enterprises that directly export to the United States sometimes do not inform consumers about extra costs and when.
Washington, DC, calm David Herr, who restored classic cars, recently ordered a piece of car from Belgium for about $ 200.
“I knew I would have to pay some import fees, but I had no idea what would happen,” Herr said. “I didn’t know if this was involved in the price or whether it would be collected by customs or someone else.”
When Herr’s package came over UPS, the delivery driver offered him a heavy fee of $ 493.
“Weird how wages are collected,” he said. “There is not much clarity about who’s gathering and where they go.”
Popular Quick fashion website Shein in Singapore guarantees that the price in the case is the final price for the product.
“There’s a lot of conversations about tariffs, but that’s why you don’t have to worry about paying anything after paying, so he says.
TEMU, another low -cost online retailer, who has previously relied on Minimis, states on its website for its customers “there are no import fees and extra fees for all local warehouse products and delivery.
Meg Moore, who shopped an enthusiastic online from the Chicago region, said he plans to change shopping habits.
The London -based London -based Liberty brand, which was sold for $ 365 but decided against it due to tariffs, has taken care of the Advent calendar.
“They will only add at least $ 100 to send it here,” he said.
Minimis, which is a very few important things Latin, dates back to 1938 when the Congress crosses the exception to increase trade and save taxes in each package.
The MPs increased their customs -free threshold value from $ 5 in 1990 from $ 5 to $ 200 in 1993. Under the last $ 800 threshold, the number of packages -free packages of the US had increased rapidly.
Trump called the rule a “scam” that weakened American enterprises and allowed dangerous goods to enter the country without supervision. Packages claiming exemption are not comprehensively audited by US customs personnel.
Trump ended as a gap for goods sent from China in May before eliminating the implementation of goods from all other countries in August. Documents and gifts below $ 100 are still exempt from import taxes.
Soto in Thousan Oaks decided to look for a Liverpool jersey in California. But still waiting for him to pay back to the form he sent back.
“When it comes to politics and government, I have always been away from it,” he said. “But this time it actually hurt my pocket.”
