What shoppers can do to limit charges once the US ends a tariff exemption for goods under $800

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. consumers have gotten used to shopping the world without paying customs duties on the international packages they receive from big e-commerce companies like Shein and Temu, specialty shops and businesses that sell goods through online marketplaces like Amazon, Etsy and eBay.

That era is about to end. On Friday, the United States plans to eliminate a tariff exemption that allowed imports worth $800 or less to enter the country tax-free. With the sundowning of the “de minimis” exemption, such shipments will incur charges that range from 10% to 50% of their declared value or, for the next six months, a flat duty of $80 to $200 per parcel.

“Consumers are going to be shocked,” Alison Layfield, vice president of product development at international shipping and logistics p