Important information about international shipments

According to a new executive order issued by the US president, effective August 29, 2025, the duty-free "de minimis" regime for all postal items valued between zero and USD 800 imported into the US will be abolished.

Key issues and procedures, particularly in the area of customs duty collection, the specification of data collected, and the method of cooperation with US customs authorities, have not yet been clearly defined by the relevant US authorities. Partial technical details were not published until August 15, leaving extremely limited time for both the preparation of technical data transfer to the US side and the setting up of customs duties, which must now be paid before the shipment enters the US. For this reason, it is not possible at this time to ensure compliance with the requirements of the executive order.

For Czech Post customers, this means that from August 22, 2025, until further notice, the acceptance of shipments to the US containing goods, regardless of their value, will be suspended. It will still be possible to send shipments to the US containing only written communications or documents, and shipments between individuals containing gifts up to a maximum value of USD 100. However, even these shipments will require a properly completed postal customs declaration, with an emphasis on a correct and complete description of the contents and the actual value in the currency of the destination country, i.e., USD. Even if the customs declaration is completed correctly and completely, customs clearance upon entry into the US may be delayed, resulting in longer delivery times.

The reason for restricting the acceptance of shipments one week before the executive order takes effect is that goods must be cleared through customs and the assessed amount paid at the moment they enter the US. Czech Post cannot guarantee delivery of a shipment to the US if it is posted at Czech Post after August 22. Czech Post has no influence on the transport time of a shipment after it has been dispatched from Czechia.

We therefore ask all senders to fill in the customs declaration thoroughly and correctly with all the relevant information so that customs clearance can be carried out properly and the shipment can be delivered to the foreign recipient as soon as possible. For a detailed description, see the article How to send a shipment abroad or contact customer service.