Many Poles in the US regularly receive packages from Poland: gifts from family, books, cosmetics, small orders from Polish online stores. Therefore, it is worth knowing that on October 8, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register that changes how such shipments are cleared. Below, we rely exclusively on the text of the official document.
What exactly is proposed
The document (91 FR 64532, No. 2026-20650, docket USCBP-2026-0298) is a proposed rule, not a final rule. It applies to goods valued up to $2,500 entering the US under informal entry. The key points are:
- Entry type 11 (ET11) would be filed electronically no later than the day of arrival; currently, the deadline is 15 calendar days after the package lands,
- A new type of entry, ET13, or “Informal Mail Entry,” would be created to replace the current postal process; it would require the sender’s data and address as well as the UPU S-10 tracking number,
- A postal package that is not properly declared within 15 days of arrival would be considered abandoned; USPS could then destroy it or return it to the sender,
- A recipient who is not the owner or purchaser of the goods would essentially have to appoint a licensed customs broker as the importer, unless an exception applies,
- Persons filing ET11 and ET13 entries would be required to hold a basic bond, with a minimum liquidated damages amount of $1,000 for each violation of terms.
Background: De minimis suspended
According to the same document, the de minimis exemption—meaning the customs exemption for goods valued up to $800—has been suspended for most products since August 29, 2025, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act ends it definitively on July 1, 2027. The document also indicates that the ET13 entry test is scheduled to begin on September 22, 2026, and that between September 2025 and May 2026, only 67 percent of postal shipments underwent informal or formal clearance.
Gifts: No changes to the procedure
For individuals sending and receiving gifts, an important reservation from the document applies: bona fide gifts, within the meaning of 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(A), continue to be declared under existing regulations (19 CFR 143.23(j) and 145.32), and the proposal “does not change procedures” for such shipments. However, the document does not provide monetary limits for gifts, so details should be checked with the carrier or on the CBP website.
What this means in practice
The proposal is considered “economically significant,” with an estimated net cost to the economy of approximately $9.3 billion in present value at a 3 percent discount rate ($7.7 billion at 7 percent) between 2026 and 2035. For regular recipients of packages from Poland, this would primarily mean more formalities on the part of the sender and carrier, as well as the risk of delays. No decision has been made yet, so nothing changes automatically today; until December 7, 2026, anyone can submit comments in docket USCBP-2026-0298. We recommend asking your carrier and postal service in Poland about current rules, as their practice may differ from the regulations. This text is for informational purposes and does not constitute legal or customs advice.
Shipping packages to and from Poland, moving services, and transport in Polish can be arranged by companies from the transport and moving category in the Polish Pages directory.
