The US White House released a statement on July 30 to announce an important change in US tax policy. In this blog post, we inform you how the changed US tax policy will affect all our US customers.
In short, all our US buyers will now pay about 25% tax on their shipments from KKAMI. The changes will take effect on August 29, 2025. Keep reading for more details.
Important: this only applies to buyers located in the United States.
Important Update on the US $800 Duty-Free Exemption
The US government has recently signed an executive order to suspend the De Minimis (small-value exemption) treatment that has historically allowed commercial imports valued at under $800 to enter the country duty-free.
Key Changes
- Effective Date: The new policy will take effect at 12:01 AM EST on August 29, 2025.
- Impact: From that date forward, all commercial imports to the US, regardless of their value, origin, or shipping method, will be subject to duties and taxes upon entry.
- Previous Exemption Eliminated: The previous $800 duty-free exemption for low-value shipments will no longer be in effect.
How Does This Affect KKAMI’s US Buyers?
This policy change means that all our customers will now be required to pay duties and taxes on shipments, even those valued under $800.
The Base + New Reciprocal Individualized Tariffs apply, which means that roughly 25% in taxes are to be paid. The exact tax amount may vary and will be calculated and billed at the time of delivery by the transporter. The transporter will also charge a fee for customs clearance/brokerage which is usually between 10 to 30 USD per shipment.
Note that taxes are applied to the total shipment value, which includes the shipping cost. For example, for a shipment of 1000 USD of products and a shipping cost of 100 USD, you will roughly pay 275 USD in taxes.
Sadly, there is no remedy or loophole to exploit. We are unable to undervalue shipments. And we cannot ship under the Free Trade Agreement due to very strict document requirements, which our suppliers cannot meet.
A Final Suggestion
We recommend that if you wish to secure inventory under the current duty-free policy, you request for your shipments to be dispatched before August 28, 2025. Shipments sent before the new policy takes effect will still be eligible for the existing duty-free exemption, which can help you save on costs.
