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US De Minimis Changes: What Do They Mean for Bookvault Orders?

Learn what changed when the US ended de minimis treatment for most imported goods, how this affects books and what it means for Bookvault orders shipped to US customers.

On 29 August 2025, the United States ended de minimis treatment for goods entering the US from most countries. The exemption had already ended for goods originating from China and Hong Kong on 2 May 2025.

Here’s what that change means for books and Bookvault orders.

What is a de minimis exception?

Many countries have a de minimis threshold, allowing goods below a certain value to enter without customs duties being payable.

The article currently gives these examples:

  • UK: £135
  • EU: €150
  • Canada: CAD $20
  • US: previously $800

The US $800 threshold was removed on 29 August 2025.

Do tariffs or duties need to be paid on books sent to the US?

Books remain exempt from the US trade tariffs described in this guidance, provided they are not bundled with non-exempt products.

However, the removal of the de minimis threshold means books entering the US must now go through full customs clearance.

This requires customs documentation, including a 10-digit HS code. For books, this is generally:

4901.99.00.00

The shipment must also clear through a customs broker, which can result in customs clearance fees.

What changed with postal deliveries to the US?

Following the change, many postal services initially suspended deliveries to the US while they put new customs-clearance processes in place.

Royal Mail and Deutsche Post later resumed shipments.

Royal Mail introduced a Postal Delivery Duties Paid option that includes a surcharge to cover customs processing. The customs information supplied with these shipments must be completed correctly to avoid duties being charged in error.

Courier services continued operating because customs-clearance charges were generally already included in their processes.

Has this changed how Bookvault sends books to US customers?

Most books supplied by Bookvault to US customers were already being printed in the US by Bookvault’s print partners, so these orders were unaffected by the change.

Some products are still printed in the UK and shipped to the US, particularly books with additional BookvaultBespoke finishes.

Books requiring expedited delivery from the UK to the US are shipped by courier, and these arrangements have not changed.

Learn more about BookvaultBespoke

What about economy shipping to the US?

Books shipped using economy services, with final-mile delivery handled by USPS, are imported into the US through consolidated shipments organised by Bookvault’s freight partner.

These consolidated shipments were already above the previous de minimis threshold, so this process was unaffected by the change.

Bookvault states that it has not experienced delays or border issues as a result of this change.

What if I have more questions?

If you have questions about how these changes affect your Bookvault orders, contact the Bookvault team:

Email Bookvault Support