Goods shipped by Canadians to US buyers will only be assessed for duties if their value exceeds US$800 as of March 10, 2006!

For US customers, buying just got easier.

As of yesterday, the United States has increased their de minimis threshold from US$200 to US$800. In practice, this means that goods shipped by Canadians to US buyers will only be assessed for duties if their value exceeds US$800.

This change should make Canadian purchases even more competitive: Canadian inventory does well in the US and now a key barrier for US buyers has been lifted. US customers who have previously shied away from buying high-value items should re-consider these decisions in light of this de minimis increase.

The threshold change is due to the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, which President Obama signed into law in late February.