The Impact of The Tariffs in The US

Selling into the US just got trickier for the UK. On August 29, 2025, the White House ended the long-standing $800 de minimis waiver for low-value imports, meaning that most small B2C parcels are now subject to duty and may incur additional carrier handling fees. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has confirmed enforcement and system changes, and early reports indicate that postal networks have been scrambling to adapt.

This sits on top of two earlier moves that also raise landed costs for certain products. In June 2025, the administration doubled national-security tariffs on steel and aluminium under Section 232, lifting headline rates from 25% to 50% for covered goods and derivatives. Even in late 2024, the USTR finalised a fresh wave of Section 301 increases on China-origin goods. Most notably, they pushed electric vehicles to 100% and elevated tariffs on batteries, solar cells, semiconductors and certain critical minerals.

So, what does this all mean for UK shippers? The key takeaways are straightforward. Assume duty on small parcels, tighten HS code and origin data, and consider duties-paid services, so customers aren’t hit with surprise charges or delivery holds at the door.

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What changed in 2025 (and late 2024)?

Three policy shifts have reshaped the costs of shipping small parcels into the United States. We’ve covered them briefly, but here are some more details. First, the suspension of the long-standing $800 de minimis waiver: it effectively ended duty-free entry for most low-value B2C parcels and, as a result, several postal networks temporarily curtailed US services as they adapted to the new rules.

If you were relying on sub-$800 orders to avoid duties, that era is over. Then, there’s the doubling of national-security tariffs on steel and aluminium under Section 232.

Even if your finished good is UK-origin, mixed or third-country components can still trigger higher effective costs where the 232 measures apply, so origin analysis at the component level matters more than ever.

Who is affected among UK shippers?

UK sellers feel this most at the small-parcel end. Brands sending low-value B2C orders that previously relied on the $800 de minimis now face duty and carrier handling fees on almost every shipment.

As the exemption was suspended nationwide from 29 August 2025, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) updated its systems and guidance to enforce it. That’s why some postal operators temporarily limited or paused US services while they adapted.

Marketplace and D2C sellers using DAP are especially exposed. Surprise charges and payment holds at delivery drive refusals and re-shipment costs, so many will need to switch to duty-prepaid options.

Manufacturers and retailers whose goods are made in China (even if dispatched from the UK) are affected by the late-2024 Section 301 increases, with EVs subject to 100% and higher rates on renewable materials.

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