The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has announced that Nigerians sending parcels to the United States will now pay $80 (or its Naira equivalent) in prepaid customs duty, effective August 29, 2025.
The new charge, which excludes letters and documents, follows the enforcement of a U.S. Executive Order suspending the de minimis exemption on duty-free postal shipments.
NIPOST, in a public notice issued on Friday, clarified that the duty is not unique to Nigeria but applies to all countries under the U.S. directive issued through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The order requires all postal operators and designated postal administrations worldwide to collect the levy before dispatch.
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Possible Delays in Delivery
The agency also cautioned that global logistics operations are being affected, as airlines and cargo carriers adopt stricter procedures for U.S.-bound parcels.
This could extend both transit and processing times, resulting in potential delivery delays. In addition, all shipments will undergo customs checks upon arrival in the U.S.
To mitigate disruptions, NIPOST said it is engaging with the Universal Postal Union (UPU), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and airline partners. The agency assured customers that it remains committed to providing safe, reliable, and efficient postal and courier services despite the global regulatory change.
The U.S. decision to suspend the de minimis rule is part of the Donald Trump administration’s wider trade policies and affects all countries sending parcels through postal services. Analysts say the policy will have ripple effects on cross-border e-commerce, small businesses, and individuals who rely on international shipping for personal and commercial needs.
Earlier in April, global logistics giant DHL announced a temporary suspension of business-to-consumer (B2C) shipments to private individuals in the United States, following the new U.S. Customs regulations that significantly lower the threshold for formal customs processing.
The company explained that the regulation had caused a surge in formal entry processing, stretching its resources and causing multi-day delivery delays for high-value shipments.
What is de minis?
The de minimis exemption is a trade rule that allows goods valued below a certain threshold to enter a country without customs duty or tax.
In the U.S., the threshold was previously set at $800 per shipment, meaning low-value parcels often entered duty-free. With the new Executive Order, all parcels, regardless of value, will now attract a flat $80 customs duty when sent through postal services.
This is expected to increase costs for individuals and businesses shipping small packages, including online purchases.
A Backstory: America’s Changing Trade Posture
The de minimis threshold has long been a cornerstone of U.S. trade policy, particularly in the age of e-commerce. By allowing low-value goods—often consumer items ordered online—to enter duty-free, Washington sought to encourage cross-border commerce, ease customs bottlenecks, and reduce administrative costs.
For decades, the U.S. kept its de minimis threshold relatively low compared to peers. However, in 2016, Congress dramatically raised the threshold from $200 to $800, a move widely welcomed by online retailers and global exporters, who saw it as a way to accelerate deliveries and expand the American consumer market.
But as global trade shifted, especially with the surge of Chinese exports through platforms like Alibaba, Shein, and Temu, U.S. officials began to reconsider the policy. The current U.S. government argues that foreign sellers were exploiting the high threshold to flood the American market with cheap goods while sidestepping tariffs and undercutting domestic manufacturers.
The shift away from de minimis exemptions is therefore not just about revenue collection, but part of a broader recalibration of U.S. trade policy—one that increasingly ties customs enforcement to national security, industrial policy, and digital-era competition.
Washington is thus signaling its intent to close what it views as loopholes in the global e-commerce supply chain by requiring a flat $80 duty on all postal parcels. Analysts suggest the move may be aimed at leveling the playing field for U.S. producers while simultaneously tightening oversight of goods entering the country.
However, economists have warned that this shift risks stoking inflation as the small businesses that rely on inexpensive parcel shipping are expected to pass the hike to consumers. In many developing countries like Nigeria, where online shopping and cross-border trade have surged in recent years, the policy could prove especially disruptive.