Customs Regulatory Updates – Americas

For: Shippers, Receivers
Shipping: Packages
Effective March 19, 2026

The Government of Uruguay has introduced changes to the customs treatment of low-value imports. The new regulations increase the value threshold for Simplified/Informal imports and modify the Personal Franchise program available to eligible consumers. These changes may provide greater access to simplified import procedures and expanded benefits for qualifying personal imports.

What you need to know

Effective March 19, 2026:

• The Simplified/Informal import threshold increased from 200 to 800 USD based on the total shipment value, including the value of the goods, freight, and insurance (CIF value).
• Eligible Simplified/Informal imports remain subject to a 60% global import duty, with a minimum duty payment of 20 USD.

Effective May 1, 2026:

• The Personal Franchise program changed from three duty-free imports valued up to 200 USD each to a maximum cumulative annual value of 800 USD across up to three eligible imports.
• Personal Franchise imports are generally subject to a 22% Value Added Tax (VAT), with a minimum VAT payment of 20 USD.

Effective November 3, 2026

• United States sellers seeking to benefit from the VAT exemption must be registered with Uruguay Customs and provide their registration number with shipment information.
• Incomplete shipment information, missing registration details, or failure to meet eligibility requirements may result in customs clearance delays.

Shipments valued up to 800 USD and weighing less than 20 kg may qualify for Simplified/Informal import processing without the need for a customs broker and is available for both Business to Business (B2B) and shipments.

The Personal Franchise program is available only to eligible Uruguay citizens and is limited to three imports per calendar year, with a maximum cumulative annual CIF value of 800 USD and maximum weight of 20 kg per shipment.

Receivers seeking to use the Personal Franchise program must complete a one-time registration with Uruguay Customs through the Uruguayan Customs system (LUCIA).

Personal Franchise imports are generally exempt from customs duty but subject to a 22% VAT.

Qualifying shipments originating from the United States may be exempt from VAT when the shipment value does not exceed 200 USD and all applicable eligibility requirements are met.

Goods subject to excise taxes, prohibited or restricted goods, and goods requiring approval from other government agencies are not eligible for Simplified/Informal or Personal Franchise processing and may require formal customs clearance.

For: Shippers
Shipping: Packages
Effective: July 1, 2026

Smartphones (HS code: 8517.13.01), other mobile phones (8517.14.91), and other telephones (8517.18.99) are subject to Mexican Official Standards (NOMs) and must comply with all applicable NOM requirements prior to import into Mexico.

• Low value shipments of these commodities will still be eligible for the simplified clearance (T1) processing but must comply with the applicable NOMs.
• The NOMs are a combination of labelling and certifications.

What you need to know

• Smartphones and other mobile phones are now subject to Mexican Official Standards (NOMs) regardless of their value or nature of the transaction (both Business to Consumer (B2C) and Business to Business (B2B) will require the NOMs).
• Receivers should verify whether or not their goods are classified under any of the HS codes subject to the NOMs.
• Compliance with NOMs is the responsibility of the Importer of Record (IOR).
• If subject to NOMs, shippers and receivers/IORs must coordinate prior to shipping any such goods to Mexico to ensure full compliance with the NOMs required.
• All parties should note that shipments arriving to Mexico without the required documentation and/or certification may be delayed pending receipt of all NOM documents.

For: Shippers
Shipping: Packages
Effective: April 1, 2026

Shipping: Low value personal goods (Business to Consumer (B2C)) to Barbados

What you need to know

Effective April 1, 2026 Barbados has introduced a new low value threshold for imports of personal goods and increased the de minimis threshold. Below are the details of the new thresholds:

• De Minimis* (Duty and tax-free): The import value threshold will increase from BBD 60 (approximately 30 USD) to BBD 50 (approximately 75 USD), based on the value of the goods Free on board (FOB).
• Informal*: A new category will be established for shipments containing goods valued from BBD 150.01 (approximately 75.01 USD) to BBD 199.99 (approximately 99.99 USD) based on the value of the goods Free on board (FOB). These shipments will benefit from duty-free treatment but will be subject to 17.5% VAT.

Relevant low value personal goods exported from the Rest of the World to Barbados must have complete and accurate Commercial Invoice data including consignee contact details (mobile phone number, email address), value of the goods, and clear detailed commodity descriptions - ideally via one of the DHL Electronic Shipping Solutions.

*Exclusions: Alcoholic beverages, cannabis and vaping products, cigars, cigarettes, and manufactured tobacco are excluded from any tax and/or duty-free category.

Free on board (FOB)

For: Shippers, Receivers
Shipping: Packages
Effective: July 8, 2026

What you need to know

Products subject to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) such as children’s clothing, toys, wearing apparel, other consumer goods, have historically been required to undergo specific testing and the Importers of such products are required to maintain the certificates which result from completion of the testing. These certificates are not required to be submitted to Customs or the CPSC at the time of entry but must be able to be provided should either Customs or CPSC request them from the Importer. As of July 6, 2026 the CPSC is requiring the eFiling of the certificate data via Customs ACE system for US imports containing one or more of the applicable harmonized tariff codes (HTS) at time of entry.

Relevant commodities and products exported from Rest of the World to The United States must provide one of the following options to clear, in compliance with the CPSC eFiling requirement:

• Preferred: Register applicable products in the CPSC’s Product Registry in advance of shipping and provide the resulting Reference Message Set (3 identifiers provided by CPSC after successful registration) on the commercial invoice (CI) or included on an addendum sheet provided with the shipment documents
• Full CPSC PGA Message Set (7 data elements found on the CPSC certificates) on the commercial invoice (CI) or as an addendum sheet
• A copy of the applicable certificate(s) either uploaded with the shipment documents at time of shipment creation or tendered to the courier at time of pick-up if paperless trade (PLT) is not available​
• Where applicable, determine whether a disclaimer applies and provide the correct Intended Use Code to support that declaration on the CI

Shipments lacking this information at time of entry may be delayed while DHL Express attempts to contact the receiver or shipper for the required information.

For: Shippers, Receivers
Shipping: Packages
Effective: February 24, 2026

What you need to know

DHL Express is committed to helping customers recover IEEPA tariffs they paid to the U.S. government through U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling and CBP confirmation that IEEPA tariffs no longer apply to shipments entering the United States as of February 24, 2026, CBP has since announced that it will begin processing refund claims through a phased administrative approach, with Phase 1 of its Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) system scheduled to begin on April 20, 2026.

Under the government-established process, eligible refunds are administered by CBP through the CAPE system. As refunds are issued by CBP, where DHL Express acted as the Importer of Record (IOR), DHL Express will pass on the refund to the party that originally paid the duties, in line with CBP guidance. For eligible entries where the customer has acted as the IOR, DHL Express can assist customers in filing their claims via CAPE.

View Details 

For: Shippers, Receivers
Shipping: Packages
Effective: January 1, 2025

What you need to know

Mexico’s Authorities implemented several major regulatory changes impacting the clearance of Low-value shipments imported through Informal/simplified entries by Express companies. These changes include additional and more detailed data elements:

• Detailed goods description
• Consignee’s TAX ID (RFC/CURP), email address and phone number
• Abolition of De minimis value threshold (with some exceptions)
• Changes to value thresholds and importer registration requirements for low-value clearances

Effective August 15, 2025, new import duty rates apply to low-value shipments processed through informal/simplified declarations by Express companies. The new rates are as follows:

• Except for Canada and the United States of America, the Global tariff rate for shipments imported from the Rest of the World to Mexico valued up to 2,500 USD processed through the Low-Value simplified process has increased from 19% to 33.5%.
• For shipments imported from Canada and the United States of America to Mexico, the Global tariff rates do not change and will continue to apply as follows:
  • 1.00 USD - 50.00 USD: De Minimis (duty and tax free)
  • 50.01 USD - 117.00 USD: Global rate of 17%
  • 117.01 USD - 2,500.00 USD: Global rate of 19%
• There are no changes for formal shipments over 2,500 USD. Import duty rates are determined based on the Harmonized System (HS) Code.

Requirements for Low-Value Shipments 
New Import Duty Rates for Low-Value Shipments 

For: Shippers, Receivers
Shipping: Packages
Effective: December 3, 2024

What you need to know

The Argentina Customs Authority (ARCA) has published regulatory changes to facilitate the clearance of Informal (Low-Value) shipments:

• Effective December 3, 2024: Establish a De Minimis value threshold within the Small Shipment regime for shipments of up to 400 USD based on the value of the goods Free on board (FOB). Imports within this value threshold will be exempted from import customs duties and the Customs Statistical Fee but will continue to pay a VAT tax of 0%, 10.5%, or 21% based on the tariff classification (HS code) and other applicable taxes.
• Effective December 4, 2024: Increase the informal import value threshold from 1,000 USD to 3,000 USD based on the value of the goods Free on board (FOB).

Detailed information can be found at the Argentina Customs Authority website: General Resolution 5608/2024 increasing import value thresholds.

General Resolution 5608/2024 

For: Shippers, Receivers
Shipping: Packages
Effective: October 15, 2024

What you need to know

For Low-value shipments (of less than 2,000 USD and 50Kg) to Colombia that require the application of a specific Tariff Classification Code for tariff benefits, must include the 10-digit Import Tariff Classification Code in the air waybill. If not included, the tariff benefits cannot be applied, and the generic Express/Courier Tariff Classification Code 9807200000 (with 10% duty and 19% tax) will apply as per the standard express courier process.

Resolution 0039 of 2021/ Decree 360 of 2021  
Tariff–DIAN  
Modality-Postal traffic and urgent shipments  

For: Shippers, Receivers
Shipping: Packages
Effective: August 1, 2024

New Import duty rates under “Programa Remessa Conforme” (PRC) – Compliant Shipment Program

What you need to know

• Value basis for duty/tax calculation for all Low-Value Shipments (shipments up to 3,000 USD) changes from the value of the goods Free on board (FOB) to the purchase value of the goods (CIF).
• New import customs duty rates for Business-to-Consumer (B2C) shipments under PRC:
  • Shipments with value up to 50 USD (CIF): 20% Duty/17% Tax
  • Shipments with value from 50.01 USD to 3,000 USD (CIF): 60% Duty with a 20 USD discount/17% Tax
• All shipments up to 3,000 USD (CIF) NOT eligible for PRC will continue to be subject to a 60% Duty/17% Tax.

Shippers:

• Provide complete and accurate Commercial Invoice data, ideally via one of the DHL Express Electronic Shipping Solutions. This will help to categorize and process the shipments adequately, including those qualifying for the PRC preferential treatment.
• PRC-registered e-commerce companies must consider the new applicable import customs duty rates to calculate and collect accurate duties and taxes from their clients in Brazil.

Explanation of New Rules 
Compliant Shipment Program (PRC) and How to Register 
List of PRC-registered companies 
Provisional Measure N 1,236 

For: Shippers, Receivers
Shipping: Packages
Effective: April 1, 2024

What you need to know

The Jamaican Customs Authorities increased the Import Customs Duties and Taxes De Minimis value threshold from 50 USD to 100 USD based on the value of the goods. The De Minimis value allows personal items to be imported into Jamaica without additional Import Customs Duties and Taxes.

Jamaica Customs Agency Website 

For: Shippers, Receivers
Shipping: Packages
Effective: June 28, 2024

What you need to know

Per El Salvador customs authorities, personal (non-commercial) shipments, not exceeding US$300 (declared value of the goods) sent by private individual shippers to private individuals in El Salvador, are exempt from import permit requirements.

El Salvador Customs 

For: Importers
Shipping: Packages
Effective: May 13, 2024

What you need to know

• The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) is a multi-year initiative that is changing the way CBSA manages commercial goods being imported into Canada, including collection of duties and taxes
• The CARM Client Portal (CCP) was launched for use by importers, customs brokers and trade consultants, who must register and create an account
• Importers into Canada will need to register and delegate authority to their respective broker, such as DHL, via CCP, enabling them to manage their commercial importation activities
• DHL can help you understand what CARM means to you

DHL Express – Understanding CARM 

For: Shippers, Receivers
Shipping: Packages
Effective: June 21, 2022

The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) has established rules regarding importing products from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region into the United States.

What you need to know

• Customs authorities may detain, exclude, and/or seize and forfeit items
• The Importer of Record may be required to provide evidence clearly confirming items are not the product of forced labor

U.S. Customs and Border Protection