CBP Delays New International Mail Entry Procedure: Entry Type 13 Mandatory Date Moved to January 20, 2027
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on October 14 that it is postponing the mandatory implementation date for Entry Type 13 (ET13), the new informal entry procedure for international mail, by 90 days — from October 22, 2026 to January 20, 2027. CBP said there will be no changes to international mail entry procedures before January 20, 2027, and that use of ET13 becomes mandatory from that date.
The procedure applies to postal shipments entering the United States through the international postal network that are subject to Section 201, 232 or 301 tariffs, or that fall under the jurisdiction of partner government agencies. Such shipments must be filed electronically in CBP's Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) as ET13 informal entries, or else move through formal entry. CBP said the delay gives importers, brokers and logistics providers additional time to update their processes while helping avoid disruptions to certain international postal shipments destined for the United States; voluntary early use of ET13 is encouraged during the transition.
Susan S. Thomas, Executive Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Trade, said CBP is focused on securing the border and using advance data to identify threats in international mail before they reach American communities. Diane J. Sabatino, Executive Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Field Operations, said the requirements will create a more secure international mail stream, strengthening both economic and national security.
The delay follows an interim final rule issued on June 24 that indefinitely suspended the de minimis duty-free exemption for mail shipments and created the new postal informal entry process for shipments valued at $2,500 or less. A test version of ET13 was deployed to the ACE production environment on September 22. Separately, CBP published a proposed rule on October 8 that would extend the new requirements to nearly all international mail packages except letters and flats; that proposal remains under review and is distinct from this delay.
Reuters reported that patient groups and industry organizations had warned that the rule's data, bonding and broker requirements could delay, block or raise the cost of personal prescription drug orders mailed from Canada and elsewhere; the delay also pushes the changes until after the November 3 midterm elections.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：海关与边境保护局警犬训导员在肯尼迪国际机场查验入境国际邮件（资料图）。来源：美国海关与边境保护局，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons / Photo: A CBP K-9 handler inspects arriving international mail at JFK International Airport (file photo). Credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
