Unsure how these changes affect your business?

Talk to Starlinks Global, we can offer a choice of clearance methods and are happy to advise.

📰 TIMELINE OF EVENTS

Rare Earths Tariff Standoff — Quickly De-escalated

13/10/25

Last week, tensions flared again in the U.S.–China trade story — but fizzled almost as fast.

China announced it would apply export controls on rare earths and critical minerals from 1st November, targeting any product containing over 0.1% rare earths linked to Chinese sources or extraction processes.

In response, President Trump threatened a new 100% tariff on China (on top of existing duties) warning it could land by 1st November or even sooner.

But over the weekend, China clarified the new controls would have minimal impact on global civilian supply chains.

Trump responded simply:

"Don't worry about China, it will all be fine."

For now, no new tariffs have been introduced. No Executive Order has been published. The threat seems to have passed, at least for the moment.

We’re still watching:
• The planned Trump–Xi summit in South Korea later this month
• The Supreme Court hearing on 5th November regarding existing tariff legality

02/09/25

Navigating a No De Minimis World – and the Latest Tariff Twist

As a reminder, from midnight on 29th August the U.S. moved into a no de minimis environment.

⚪Type 86 clearance is no longer available for parcel shipments.

⚪While many providers paused services ahead of this change, Starlinks Global remained fully operational.

⚪It’s business as usual at Starlinks Global. Both our postal and commercial solutions are open and moving, with uninterrupted service into the U.S.

On the same day, 29th August, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the earlier decision by the U.S. Court of International Trade that tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) were unlawful. The Court has allowed those tariffs to remain in effect until 14th October to give the Trump administration time to appeal to the Supreme Court.

This ruling does not alter the de minimis suspension that took effect on 29th August. However, with IEEPA currently the only tariffs being collected via the Postal channel (and the Commercial channel still subject to standard duty rates plus Section 301/232 tariffs where applicable), more twists on this tariff rollercoaster are likely. Should the Supreme Court ultimately rule that IEEPA was used unlawfully, refunds may need to be issued on tariffs already collected.

28/08/25

Postal at a Turning Point: De Minimis Withdrawal Now Imminent

The U.S. withdrawal of De Minimis comes into effect on 29th August. We are now in the final countdown, with many providers already suspending services. The landscape is moving quickly as operators race to adapt.

While De Minimis will be withdrawn across all shipments of commercial value (with some very minor exceptions), the biggest disruption is being felt in postal channels, where airlines, posts, and qualified parties must agree on the responsibilities and liabilities for calculating, collecting and remitting duties and airline carriers will only continue once they are comfortable that liability is clearly assigned.

Starlinks Global and its postal, airfreight and qualified party partners have already reached agreements — a breakthrough step that shows a clear pathway forward for postal. More agreements are still needed across the market to restore full postal airfreight uplift, and in the meantime services may be subject to some uplift delays whilst more airlines come on board and full capacity is restored.

Several providers suspending – but not us

There are reports of postal operators suspending services to the U.S. until they finalise their agreements with airlines and qualified parties. Unlike others, Starlinks Global already has agreements in place — meaning our postal pathway remains open enabling service continuity to the U.S. Market.

Commercial remains consistent

Commercial clearance remains fully operational. However, with De Minimis removed, duties and tariffs will apply to all shipments (through the postal channel only IEEPA tariffs apply).

Mixed-origin parcels clarified

CBP has also confirmed that mixed-origin postal parcels will be assessed at the item level, not by the highest tariff across the parcel. This ensures tariffs are applied according to each product’s country of origin.

What this means for customers

Postal – Operational and customers should expect some short-term delays whilst full airline capacity and uplift is restored, but services via Starlinks Global remain open. IEEPA tariffs will apply.

Commercial – Fully operational via our Type 11 clearance process. Duties and tariffs will apply.

21/08/25

CBP Releases New Postal Guidance — Key Clarifications on Liability

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has now issued guidance on how De Minimis withdrawal will apply to postal shipments.

The key change: liability for duties can now be moved from airline carriers to another qualified party.

From 29th August: No More DDU

• From 29th August, postal will no longer have a DDU option.

• All duties and tariffs must be collected and remitted directly to CBP.

DDP becomes the only option, with responsibility either:

• Remaining with the airline carrier, or

• Being transferred to another qualified party.

Airlines Reviewing Processes

• Airline carriers are now working to confirm that the necessary processes with qualified parties are in place. They need assurance that liability sits with the qualified party, not the carrier. This is a critical dependency for postal to continue being utilised. (The resolution must be in place before 29th August.)

What Happens Next

• If airline carriers are satisfied, both postal and commercial clearance solutions will remain available and Starlinks Global will continue to offer both solutions.

• If not, postal may be disrupted — but commercial clearance will remain unaffected and continues to run smoothly through Type 11 clearance.

31/07/2025

📢 U.S. De Minimis suspended for all countries from 29th August — new Executive Order published

Overnight, the White House released the full Executive Order confirming the withdrawal of de minimis for all countries from 29th August 2025. While this was expected to be announced this week, there are last‑minute additions to the EO that raise important questions over workability — particularly for postal shipments.

Key points:

• De minimis withdrawn for all countries from 29th August.

• Commercial entries: Must be cleared as Informal Type 11 or Formal 01 — Type 86 will no longer be available.

• Commercial duty calculation: Standard Duty Rate + Section 301/232 (if applicable) + IEEPA tariffs.

• Postal entries (initial phase):

• Subject only to IEEPA tariffs, no CBP entry preparation required.

• Alternative flat rate option ($80–$200 per item) for six months, linked to IEEPA rate by origin.

• Country of origin must be declared for all shipments.

• Duties must be collected/remitted by airline carriers or “other qualified parties” — definition unclear.

• Practical concern: Since the 2nd May China/HK de minimis withdrawal, no parcels from Hong Kong Post or China Post have entered via postal due to airline carriers refusing the duty liability. Without clarity on the “other qualified party” definition, postal viability is in question.

• Longer-term: EO suggests postal will move to the same duty regime as commercial once CBP finalises a postal entry process.

• If courts rule against IEEPA tariffs: Commercial would still pay Standard Duty Rate + 301/232; postal de minimis could be reinstated temporarily until systems are ready to collect these duties.

What this means:

• Commercial entry pathways currently have the clearest framework for compliance from 29th August.

• Postal could offer a short-term advantage — but only if airline carriers or other qualified parties agree to take on duty collection, which remains uncertain.

• Solutions like Consolidated Type 11 are ready, tested, and positioned as a practical compliant route forward.

What we’re doing next:
• Once final reciprocal tariff rates are confirmed later this week, for our customers we’ll share access to the Starlinks Global duty calculator — showing total duty impact (Standard + 301/232 + IEEPA) by HS code and origin, plus weighted averages.

• If postal proves viable which we can continue to service via our Office of Exchange status, we’ll also release a calculator version focused solely on IEEPA tariffs.

📄 You can read the full Executive Order here: whitehouse.gov link

02/07/2025

📢 𝗨.𝗦. 𝗗𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘀 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴?

The Senate has passed the “Big Beautiful” budget bill (now dubbed the “Megabill”) by a single vote: 51 to 50.

It now moves to the House of Representatives, where it must pass without amendments to reach the President’s desk.

🔁 𝗔 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸:

• The 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 by 1st July 2027.
• Reinserted to help offset healthcare and tax cuts — scoring around $𝟰𝟬 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 in revenue.

🖋 𝗔𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿:

• A move to eliminate de minimis via Executive Order is expected sooner than July 2027.

• It may potentially be linked to trade actions around 𝟵𝘁𝗵 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆, when the reciprocal tariff pause expires, however there is forceful lobbying ongoing to prevent this.

📦 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀, 𝗱𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟰𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝘆

Current duties stack as follows:
• Standard Duty Rate
• Section 301 Tariff
• 10% Fentanyl Tariff (Feb 2025)
• 10% Fentanyl Tariff (Mar 2025)
• 10% “Reciprocal Tariff” (May 2025)

🧾 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲?
• A 𝟯𝟬-𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 is being discussed.

• For 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹, origin posts may be expected to collect and remit duty.

• In 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀, DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) is the advised route.

• 𝗗𝗔𝗣 (Delivered at Place) may create a poor delivery experience for consignees who are not used to paying duty on demand — potentially leading to increased undeliverables and refunds.

29/05/25

📣 Legal Update: Court Ruling Challenges Trump’s Tariffs

On 28th May 2025, the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) issued a landmark ruling declaring that the tariffs introduced under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), including the so-called "Liberation Day" reciprocal tariffs, were unlawfully imposed.

⚖️ What the Court Said:

• The three-judge panel unanimously ruled that President Trump exceeded his authority under IEEPA by imposing broad, revenue-raising tariffs.

• The decision emphasises that only Congress has the power to impose tariffs for trade or tax policy purposes.
A permanent injunction has been issued to block further collection of the tariffs.

🧾 If Upheld, This Could Mean:

• De minimis may be reinstated for China and Hong Kong.

• Tariffs already paid under the IEEPA-based reciprocal regime could become eligible for refunds.

⚠️ What Happens Now?

The decision has been immediately appealed by the Trump administration. Until the appeals court rules, the injunction may be stayed or overturned. This introduces a new layer of uncertainty to the evolving U.S. trade policy environment.

👉 We’ll continue monitoring developments and will update this page as the legal process unfolds.

12/05/25

CBP Summit + Geneva Talks – Full Update for Retailers

The past week has brought two significant developments impacting cross-border eCommerce and parcel clearance into the USA.

1. 📅 U.S. CBP Trade & Cargo Security Summit

Held 6th–8th May 2025

CBP reconfirmed their current enforcement approach on de minimis and China/Hong Kong origin goods.

Key updates from the Summit:

• De minimis entry volumes have dropped 85% since 2nd May (4 million per day to around 600,000).

• CBP enforcement approach remains unchanged:

Parcels entering the USA through the postal channel without a visible Country of Origin may be opened by CBP. If found to be of China or Hong Kong origin, they face stacked duties and will be moved to Formal Clearance.

• Valuation reminder:
CBP also restated that, with de minimis no longer applicable to China and Hong Kong origin goods, the customs value of goods would be determined in accordance with the provisions of the US Customs Valuation statute in 19 U.S.C. 1401a. Transaction value is the primary method of appraisement which is based on the price actually paid or payable. The price actually paid or payable is the total payment made by the buyer to the seller.

• B2B2C warning:
→ CBP is closely monitoring B2B2C models and under-declaration risks. Retailers should ensure accurate declarations to avoid penalties.

🔗 View the CBP eCommerce FAQ

2. 📅 USA-China Bilateral Trade Talks

Held 10th–11th May 2025 in Geneva

• USA and China agreed to a 90-day temporary tariff reduction:
➡️ The reciprocal tariffs will drop from 125% to 10%. Still subject to the additional 20% Fentanyl tariffs on all goods plus existing Section 301 tariffs and any base rate tariffs.

➡️ No mention was made of any reinstatement of de minimis for China origin goods.

🔗 Read the USA-China joint statement

30/04/2025

📢 Tariff Stacking Revisions Begin – But Only for Specific Sectors (For Now)

Two new Executive Orders were published on the 29th April signalling the first shift in how stacked tariffs are applied to U.S. imports. While not yet directly affecting eCommerce or retail shipments, this is a notable development that could pave the way for further adjustments in the weeks ahead.

What’s Changed:
The new Executive Orders relate specifically to removal of tariff stacking for select sectors:
• Automobiles and Auto Parts
• Northern and Southern Border Duties
• Steel & Aluminium Tariffs

🔗 View Executive Order: Tariff Adjustments

🔗 View Executive Order: Automobiles & Auto Parts

These changes currently apply to:
• Proclamation 10908 (Auto Tariffs)
• Executive Orders 14193, 14194, 14197, 14198, 14226, 14227, 14231, and 14232 (Border Duties)
• Proclamations 9704, 9705, 9980, 10895, 10896 (Steel & Aluminium Tariffs)

What remains unchanged:
• Section 301 Tariffs
• Fentanyl-Linked Tariffs

These still stack alongside the base duty and the reciprocal tariff — and remain highly relevant for many consumer goods, including products of China and Hong Kong origin.

Postal Channel Implementation Challenges
CBP and USPS have maintained (for now) that:

• Goods sent from countries like the UK but of China or Hong Kong origin are subject to full stacked duties.
• Where no Country of Origin (COO) is declared (e.g., on the CN22 form), CBP may open parcels to determine origin.
• If duty is deemed payable, CBP will apply a notice to the parcel and return it to USPS to collect payment from the recipient.
• In high-volume situations, CBP may escalate shipments to formal clearance, requiring the recipient to appoint a clearance broker.

23/04/2025

UPDATE: CBP Confirms Postal Shipments WILL Be Subject to Duty

Overnight, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released a clarification that contradicts previous USPS guidance and significantly changes the landscape for postal clearance.

What CBP Now Says:

• CBP has confirmed that goods made in China or Hong Kong do not qualify for de minimis through postal clearance, even if warehoused and shipped from another country like the UK.

• These shipments must file an informal or formal entry and pay the full 145% tariff rate — with no mechanism currently available in the postal system to do this and no clarity on whether the duties will stack as per commercial clearance.

What This Means in Practice:

❌ The USPS "Country of Export" approach no longer holds up under CBP enforcement.

❌ There’s no current mechanism in the postal environment to file informal/formal entries.

❌ Country of Origin isn’t a mandatory data field in the postal channel,  so it is unclear how postal authorities are meant to enforce this.

⚠️ Commercial clearance (Type 11 and Type 01 – Formal including the B2B2C model) are at risk of delay from 2nd May due to the increased number of shipments requiring release and the time and resource required to do this

✅ Type 86 does not face these disruptions but cannot be used for China and Hong Kong origin goods from the 2^nd May

Still in Place:

For postal shipments sent directly FROM China or Hong Kong:

• Airline carriers will collect duties at a flat rate of 120% or

• $100 from 2nd May, rising to $200 from 1st June 2025

• These options are not available for shipments sent via postal clearance from any other country like the UK.

14/04/25 

Country of Export confirmed on Postal Shipments

USPS have confirmed that the de minimis withdrawal on the postal channel from 2nd May applies only to goods sent directly FROM China and Hong Kong.

What this means:

• A postal shipment sent from the UK (even if the goods are made in China) will be treated as a UK export and remain eligible for de minimis clearance into the USA.

• The reciprocal tariff rate on commercial clearance has increased to 125% for goods of Chinese or Hong Kong origin.

For postal shipments sent FROM China or Hong Kong:

• The reciprocal tariff is now 120%

• or $100 from the 2nd May, rising to $200 from the 1st June.

10/04/2025 08:30

Reciprocal Tariff rises Again

Trump announced last night that duties on Chinese imports would be increased again due to a “lack of respect” from Beijing. The reciprocal tariff is the number that has been constantly changing. On the 2^nd April it was 34%, it then changed to 84% from the 8^th April and then became 125% on the 9^th April so that number is regularly changing and we would expect to see further changes.

📽️Watch this Video for an explanation of what this latest order means...

09/04/25 07:30

Major Tariff Increases Announced on Low-Value Imports from China and Hong Kong

In a sweeping new Executive Order posted overnight, the White House has confirmed a significant escalation in duties on goods imported from China and Hong Kong.

Key Changes:

• Additional 50% Duty Applied: Reciprocal Duty rates have increased from 34% to 84%, effective immediately. De Minimis will be withdrawn on the commercial clearance channel for goods of China and Hong Kong origin from 2nd May.

• From 2nd May 2025 Postal imports from China and Hong Kong will face a 90% duty or a flat fee of $75, up from the previous $25.

• From 1st June 2025 this flat fee will rise again to $150, replacing the previous $50 charge.

For full details, read the official Executive Order here.

03/04/25 06:30

Liberation Day Explained

After last night's "Liberation Day" press conference, where President Donald Trump announced a host of "Reciprocal Tariffs" with imports on China-origin goods rising to 34%, the full Executive Order on De Minimis has just been published.  

View Executive Order >

(Further Amendment to Duties Addressing the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China as Applied to Low-Value Imports)

This means that China and Hong Kong-origin goods will 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 $𝟴𝟬𝟬 𝗱𝘂𝘁𝘆-𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 de minimis 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱.

This is a seismic shift for cross-border eCommerce — and it starts in 30 days.

📌 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗻𝗼𝘄:

• De Minimis ends for China & Hong Kong from 2 May

• It applies on Country of Origin for commercial clearance

• It may apply only on Country of Export for postal clearance and not on Country of Origin (still to be clarified)

• Standard base rate duty plus 301 tariff plus additional tariff surcharge will apply on commercial clearance shipments

• Postal clearance will attract duty of either 30% of the value or $25 per item rising to $50 from the 1^st June

The Executive Order that covers reciprocal tariffs has a subsection (h) that alludes to potential and wider de minimis changes that could impact other countries. It is reliant on notification by the Secretary of Commerce to the President that adequate systems are in place to fully and expeditiously process and collect duty revenue applicable. Ater such notification duty-free de minimis shall not be available.

Further information will be shared as it becomes available.

View Executive Order > 

02/04/25

Update on Timings

We are expecting a formal announcement from the Trump administration at 9pm tonight (UK time), so will provide more details tomorrow (3rd April).

31/03/25

Announcements coming soon

We’re expecting an announcement in the next couple of days that the de minimis exemption on China and Hong Kong origin goods is being withdrawn again — a major shift for anyone shipping into the U.S.