Tariffs into the U.S.: recent changes and what you need to know

There are a number of changes happening July 24, 2026:

• New duty structure:

  • The Section 122 flat 10% global surcharge expires July 24, 2026.

  • Standard duties, including MFN (Most Favored Nation), Section 301, Section 232, etc. apply to postal shipments for the first time. These have already applied to commercial shipments since last August.

  • A new Section 301 forced-labor tariff applies when the Section 122 tariff expires. The rate depends on country of origin: 10% for goods of 17 economies (Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom); 12.5% for goods of most other investigated economies, including China and Vietnam; and a capped, product-specific rate for the European Union, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland — the Section 301 tariff is reduced by the product's MFN rate, capping the total at 10% (EU, Taiwan) or 12.5% (Japan, South Korea, Switzerland), and is 0% where the MFN rate already meets the cap. Goods already subject to Section 232 tariffs (steel, aluminum, autos and parts) are exempt, along with informational materials, donations, accompanied baggage, and other products listed in the official notice.

• Postal DDP threshold: Rises from $800 to $2,500 — shipments valued under $2,500 arriving on or after July 24 require prepaid duties. The trigger is the shipment's arrival date, not the transaction date. A shipment quoted before July 24 but arriving on or after July 24 is subject to the new rules.

• A licensed customs broker is now required to file entry: The same CBP rule that raised the threshold also created a new postal informal entry process. Postal shipments valued at $2,500 or less that arrive on or after July 24 must now be entered by the owner or purchaser of the goods, or by a licensed U.S. customs broker designated to act on their behalf. Until now, postal shipments cleared through an interim qualified party process that didn't require a broker; commercial shipments have long used one. Zonos has acquired Evolve Trade Services, a licensed U.S. customs brokerage, so these entries can be filed on shippers' behalf.

• Free trade agreements (FTAs): FTAs such as USMCA can now potentially apply to postal shipments for the first time — but require a certificate of origin. Details on the process are forthcoming.

USTR issued its final action in the 60 forced-labor Section 301 investigations, confirming the final rates and a July 24, 2026 effective date. See the July 24 entry above for the full rate breakdown by country of origin.

• A USTR Notice of Action imposes an additional 25% ad valorem duty on all products of Brazil, effective 12:01 a.m. ET on July 22, 2026. It stems from a separate Section 301 investigation into Brazil's acts, policies, and practices — not the Section 301 forced-labor tariff.

• This 25% duty is separate from the Section 301 forced-labor tariff (finalized July 23 — 12.5% for Brazil, effective July 24, 2026; see the entries above). The two are distinct actions, and this notice does not exempt goods also subject to the forced-labor tariff, so some Brazilian goods can be subject to both.

• A broad exemption annex removes more than 1,600 HTS subheadings (including roughly 430 civil-aircraft lines). Excluded categories include goods already covered by Section 232 (steel, aluminum, copper derivatives, vehicles, wood, semiconductors), civil aircraft and parts, pharmaceuticals, in-transit goods, humanitarian donations, informational materials, personal-use items in accompanied baggage, and specific enumerated products such as açaí and certain juices.

• President Trump signed three proclamations imposing an additional 50% ad valorem duty on Canadian goods, effective August 19, 2026, under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (an authority separate from the Section 232 and 301 tariffs). They are named for the Canadian trade barriers they respond to — dairy, motor vehicles, and alcoholic beverages — but the duties reach much further, covering hundreds of tariff lines across dozens of categories (such as cement, furniture, paper, textiles, cosmetics, and sporting goods), not only those three. Goods already covered by Section 232 (steel, aluminum, autos and parts, lumber), plus energy and potash, are excluded.

• A separate proclamation the same day adjusts Section 232 aluminum measures, offering a reduced rate (half the Section 232 rate) on primary aluminum for companies with an approved U.S. onshoring plan.

CBP issued official guidance confirming that all IEEPA-based duties will stop being collected as of 12:00 a.m. EST on February 24, 2026. Effective 12:01 a.m., those rates are replaced by the new 10% Section 122 global surcharge established by last Friday's executive order. For all practical purposes, this is a rate swap happening overnight.

Zonos will update its Landed Cost calculations at 12:00 a.m. EST tonight to reflect these changes. Section 232 and Section 301 tariffs remain in effect and are unaffected by this change.

Note: President Trump has announced via Truth Social his intent to raise the Section 122 rate to 15%, but no signed order has been published — CBP guidance is pending.

President Trump posted on Truth Social announcing that, following the Supreme Court ruling, he is raising the Section 122 worldwide tariff from 10% to the maximum legally allowed rate of 15%, effective immediately. He stated that the administration will determine and issue new permissible tariff rates in the coming months.

This is just an announcement — CBP implementation guidance and a formal executive order have not yet been issued. Zonos will update this page as soon as enforcement guidance is available.

President Trump signed a fact sheet and two executive orders on February 20, 2026, replacing the prior IEEPA-based tariff regime with a new framework:

• Prior IEEPA tariffs terminated (Executive Order) — Additional ad valorem duties previously imposed under IEEPA are ended, including country-specific duties on China, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Russia, Cuba, Iran, and Venezuela, and the reciprocal tariffs. Section 232 and Section 301 tariffs are unaffected.

• 10% Section 122 import surcharge (White House Fact Sheet) — A temporary 150-day, 10% ad valorem duty on all imported articles, effective February 24, 2026 at 12:01 a.m. EST. Excluded categories include certain critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, electronics, passenger vehicles, aerospace products, and (at least for commercial shipments) USMCA-compliant goods from Canada and Mexico.

• De minimis suspension continued (Executive Order) — The most consequential action for cross-border e-commerce. This EO explicitly continues the suspension of duty-free de minimis treatment for all shipments regardless of value, country of origin, or mode of transportation; continues the qualified party process; resets the duty rate for international postal shipments to the 10% Section 122 rate (replacing previous IEEPA-based rates); and confirms CBP has the systems in place to collect these duties. Effective February 24, 2026 at 12:01 a.m. EST.

Following the Supreme Court ruling, President Trump stated he would sign an executive order imposing a 10% global tariff on all nations under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 — a separate legal authority that gives the president power to impose tariffs of up to 15% for up to 150 days and is unaffected by the Supreme Court ruling — on top of existing tariffs.

What this means for you right now: nothing has changed. The order has only been announced — it has not been signed, published in the Federal Register, or enforced. Until the executive order is signed and CBP issues guidance, no Section 122 tariffs apply at the border. Zonos will update this page as soon as the order is signed and enforcement guidance is available.

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling declaring tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) unlawful. The court found that IEEPA does not grant the president authority to impose tariffs.

CBP has not yet issued updated enforcement guidance — IEEPA tariff rates remain in effect at the border until further notice. Zonos is in close contact with CBP and will update this page as soon as enforcement guidance is issued.