Freight glossary
De-minimis
The shipment value below which a country waives duty (and sometimes import tax).
Every country sets a de-minimis threshold — a value under which imports clear free of duty, and often free of tax too. The US is famously high at USD 800; Canada allows roughly CAD 150 duty-free on courier shipments from the US and Mexico under CUSMA; the EU relieves duty under €150 but charges VAT from the first euro.
De-minimis makes low-value cross-border e-commerce viable — it's why a small parcel from one country can arrive with no duty while a larger one is charged.
Why it matters
Staying under (or just over) a de-minimis threshold can change your landed cost significantly. It's central to pricing cross-border parcels.
Example
A USD 60 parcel into the US clears duty-free under the USD 800 Section 321 de-minimis.
Related terms
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