USA off limits!

With effect from August 29, 2025, the United States (US) government will remove the import duty exemption on goods valued at or below USD 800. Several international postal services have already announced that they will suspend postal shipments to the US. Others are expected to follow.

This means that depending on your region, your local postal service may temporarily stop delivering to US buyers. If your postal operator is affected, this could impact your ability to fulfill US orders through standard postal channels

It started with executive order on April 2nd. Good for you to see it only now.

Postal services do not stop when you abandon de minimis. They stop when you do not have stable/consistent import tariff policy.

tokul

It started with executive order on April 2nd. Good for you to see it only now.

Postal services do not stop when you abandon de minimis. They stop when you do not have stable/consistent import tariff policy.

My post was a part of eBay message I received yesterday. 

Personal gifts of $100 or less are exempt.

The situation is “fluid” and we can all expect a lot of confusion at post offices over the next few months. A dozen countries have said they will pause “package” delivieries to the USA. How that is implemented remains to be seen. Will most certainly affect our hobby and not in a great way.

Yes, gifts to the US under $100 are exempt from duties, but even so I expect a lot of confusion at many post offices. For example, last year I sent a box of German marls from the US to Germany's national bank to exchange for euro. Value was about 1600 marks / 800 euro. I declared the value in full. Postal clerk showed me her screen and said “look at this”. Estimated custom fee would be $56,000. Thats not a typo! I took a chance and mailed the box. Two weeks later saw the euro deposited in my account. Obviously no bill for 56k! My point is: who knows what will happen when you go to mail those coins on your next trade.

You can still sneak a few coins thru the system in a normal envelope or greeting card, but that's risky. By international convention, any envelope with an object (other than paper clips) is a package and subject to package rates and customs forms etc. (5If your coins get detected in 1st class mail they can be returned for postage or even confiscated.)

… and Canada is open for trades, as per usual…

Lithuania to USA postal office shipping is for documents up to 500 grams (1.1 lbs) without tracking service. No exceptions for gifts.

You can tell that you have exception for gifts, but they still follow same value declaration process that MUST work for all packages. Postal services can work with countries that have much lower "de minimis" thresholds than USA had. IMHO it is not about removing that 800 USD limit. It is about slapping taxes without setting up process for that.

This topic is not about swaps and has high risk of becoming political.

      People need to stop over-reacting, the following is an exerpt from a US News Channel (NPR)

“An earlier suspension of the exception — in February — focused on China. But the newer executive order on de minimis is global, applying to every commercial package or shipment imported into the U.S., with a few exceptions. Letters aren't affected, for example, and people can send gifts worth less than $100 to each other.”

     So, keep sending “gifts” in letters, worth less than $100 (USD).  Are swaps/trades aren't business transactions, IMHO.

I have a package of coins on way from Norway to USA. Package is stuck on way.

Can someone guide me and others in clearing the customs once it opens up.

1. What should be the HTS / HSN code for coins and banknotes?

2. What would be the Country of Origin? By defination, Country of Origin should be the issuer. However, most convenient would be the shipper's country when a package contains items from multiple issuers.

neotilva

I have a package of coins on way from Norway to USA. Package is stuck on way.

 

Can someone guide me and others in clearing the customs once it opens up.

 

1. What should be the HTS / HSN code for coins and banknotes?

 

2. What would be the Country of Origin? By defination, Country of Origin should be the issuer. However, most convenient would be the shipper's country when a package contains items from multiple issuers.

how are you shipping from norway if your from india

sp0ngeb0b

how are you shipping from norway if your from india

I am having a swap with a member from Norway.  He posted the package from Norway to USA.

Indian Customs usually has a problem with postal packages so I always get packages shipped to my friend in USA or Canada and my friend brings it to India on their next trip.  I was in USA in the last 2 weeks of August so wanted to get the coins myself but now I'll have to wait indefinitely.

neotilva

sp0ngeb0b

how are you shipping from norway if your from india

I am having a swap with a member from Norway.  He posted the package from Norway to USA.

Indian Customs usually has a problem with postal packages so I always get packages shipped to my friend in USA or Canada and my friend brings it to India on their next trip.  I was in USA in the last 2 weeks of August so wanted to get the coins myself but now I'll have to wait indefinitely.

 

oh ok

I had problems with my last swap with the US. I received the coins without any problems, but the Spanish state-owned postal service returned my shipment. 

So far, they haven't offered me any solution to the problem and told me to wait a bit to see if the issue could be resolved somehow. 

I have a couple of swaps with the US pending to see if the issue can be resolved somehow. 

Do you think if I send uncertified shipments, with normal stamps, the package would arrive at its destination in the US?

oynbcn

Do you think if I send uncertified shipments, with normal stamps, the package would arrive at its destination in the US?

A letter which is supposed to only have paper documents in it might arrive at its US destination when you only put a few coins in it between lots of paper sheets. But there is a considerable risk it might not get through and get you in trouble (losing coins, losing postage, perhaps a hefty fine).

An uncertified package will not make it to the USA either.

I strongly advice to wait with coin swaps with members in the USA – just like the Spanish postal service did.

Unfortunately, these are the times we are living in…

I'm not sure how to implement this vague idea I have. 

If, for instance, I plan a travel from my country to country A, collectors from my country that plan swapping with colleagues from A can send me the coins (duly packed already) that I can then take to A and either post them to respective addresses or transfer to a local collector that can redistribute them. 

While this sounds complicated, it shouldn't be if - like a swap list - we organize a list of willing “agents” by country/city. 

I used similar system a couple of times (using friends or family living and travelling in other countries) and, besides sometimes long transaction time, it was perfect. When buying in the USA, instead of tens of dollars shipping (to Israel) , it usually costs a few dollars if at all to a local address!