Suspension of the de minimis administrative exemption for imports $800 or less

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) rule titled "Indefinite Suspension of the De Minimis Exemption for Mail Shipments and New Postal Informal Entry" takes effect on Oct. 22, 2026. The Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation (CPPI) says that in practice it will block personal prescription parcels sent by pharmacies outside the United States, Canada included.

What the new rule changes

For years the U.S. government charged no duties on most imported products valued under $800 — the de minimis exemption. An executive order removed it for all imported products starting Aug. 29, 2025, so tariffs could be charged on personal pharmaceutical orders as well.

CPPI says the mail rule goes further: under its planned implementation by CBP and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), shipping medicine to the United States would be prohibited in almost all circumstances, with the restrictions expected to cover pharmaceutical parcels from pharmacies anywhere outside the country.

Tariffs and the court ruling

CBP's new position is that personal prescription importation does not comply with FDA guidance, although the agency allowed it for decades; CPPI notes the rule was initially meant to screen for illegal narcotics or undervalued merchandise avoiding duties.

On Feb. 20, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the president did not have authority to impose tariffs under the IEEPA law. The tariff on personal pharmaceuticals from Canada was 35% at the time. From Feb. 24, 2026, 10% tariffs were introduced for 150 days under section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, although pharmaceuticals are explicitly listed as exempt in that act. CPPI says tariffs on Canadian pharmaceuticals are now 25% below the previous rate, and that refunds may only be claimed by consumers as importer of record through a new CBP process.

What it means for patients

CPPI says more than 4 million people in the U.S. depend on personal drug importation. Its August 2026 benchmark study compared 90-day prices for 10 commonly prescribed brand-name medications in the U.S. and Canada and found consumers could save an average of 65%.

If the rule is enforced, consumers will need to buy from a U.S. pharmacy at U.S. retail prices "or likely go without," CPPI says. The campaign says it is fighting the rule through Congress, the media and public awareness, and is asking patients to write to their members of Congress.