The change, effective August 29 under a new executive order from President Donald Trump, requires customs duties on all imports regardless of value.

Responsibility for duty collection now falls to transport carriers or approved intermediaries, prompting many national postal services to pause shipments amid regulatory uncertainty.

The suspension affects exporters from countries including India, Australia, the UK, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, and others, disrupting cross-border e-commerce.

Small jewellery businesses and artisan sellers, many of whom relied on platforms like Etsy to reach US buyers, have been hit hardest. For some, the US was their primary market, and reports suggest several online stores have already shut down.

The removal of de minimis represents a sharp shift in US trade policy, extending tariffs and customs checks to even the lowest-value goods. The rule had already been lifted for China and Hong Kong in May before being expanded globally through the July 30 executive order titled Suspending Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Countries.