Has anyone returned from abroad and gone thru US customs since the change to the de minimis rules? I am just wondering if rule change also impacts any overseas purchases when traveling.
Thanks
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8811 posts
No personal experience, but the recent executive order affected the de minimus exemption of items shipped through the international postal network, not items carried back when traveling.
It will be interesting to here if travelers needed to fill more information out (like the old declarations forms) and if duties are owed (for value over the exempt amount) if they actually go to the trouble to collect. In the past, you would have needed to be way over before you were shelling out cash for duties.
Posted by
ATL, USA
634 posts
I re-entered the country on Monday. It was no different from any of the multiple other times I re-entered the country in the past ten years. I have Global Entry so I barely had to slow down to have my face scanned and be waved on by the officer. I collected my bag and walked through 'nothing to declare' like I always do.
I did read a few weeks ago that the amount that travelers could bring back without duties has not changed, so I wasn't expecting it to be different.
Posted by
UK (London - Chelsea Harbour)
395 posts
We flew from London to Minneapolis day before yesterday and Customs seemed more streamlined than when we did the same flight last year.
My husband has Global Entry, and he was asked to fill out on of those old school blue and white Customs forms. I do not have Global Entry, and I was not asked to fill out the form, nor was I asked if I had anything to declare.
I pointed my face at the square on the camera and it snapped a hideous pic. The bored, inattentive, gum chewing Customs agent gave me a laminated card stating I had passed Customs (with the wrong baggage carousel printed on it), and I was waved through.
No one asked me anything about what I had purchased abroad. A couple ahead of me on line was cutely bicker/whispering about whether they needed to declare the sheets they’d purchased at Liberty… and they didn’t get asked about purchases or “anything to declare” either.
So, FWIW, anecdata!
Posted by
OP
141 posts
Good to know
Posted by
SoCal
2040 posts
So far as I know, a couple returning from Europe still has a $1,600 exemption. So my plan is "nothing to declare," as usual. I'm not clear what change to de minimis rules has occurred.
Posted by
Snohomish, WA
3471 posts
We came back from Iceland last week. We both have Global Entry. We went to that area, looked into the machine and were on our way. I haven’t even seen a declaration form in at least 5 years.
Posted by
Virginia
1095 posts
The "de minimis rule" has not changed. When entering the US, Americans may continue to bring back $800 worth of goods duty free, "as long as you bring them with you". https://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/kbyg/types-exemptions
Nothing has changed going through US Customs at airports!
The "de minimis rules" changed for goods shipped into the United States. On goods shipped into the US there was an $800 exemption on duties and taxes, which has come to an end.
https://www.npr.org/2025/08/28/nx-s1-5519361/de-minimis-rule-tariffs-consumers-imports-trump
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/cbp-ready-enforce-end-de-minimis-loophole-securing-borders-and
Posted by
California USA
4275 posts
And my report from our return yesterday. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/customs-reentry-report-9-3-25