Cross-border shipping in 2025 is more complex than ever. With the removal of the U.S. de minimis exemption, every shipment now requires customs clearance and may incur brokerage charges. Here's what businesses must understand to avoid delays and surprise fees.
Cross-border shipping has become more complex for businesses in recent years. With the U.S. removal of the de minimis exemption, all shipments entering the U.S. now require full customs clearance regardless of value. That means brokerage charges, accurate paperwork, and compliance with customs rules have never been more important.
Whether you are sending a single package or hundreds of orders a week, understanding these requirements is essential to avoiding delays, unexpected fees, and frustrated customers.
A brokerage charge — also called a customs brokerage fee — is the service fee charged by a customs broker or carrier to clear your shipment through customs. These charges cover preparing and submitting customs paperwork, communicating with customs authorities, handling inspections or permits, and managing the release of goods.
Important: brokerage fees are not duties or taxes. Even if your shipment qualifies for zero duty under a trade agreement, you may still be charged brokerage fees to cover the clearance process. Ground shipments often bill brokerage as a separate line item, while air or express shipments may bundle it into the total shipping cost.
For years, businesses benefited from a de minimis exemption that allowed low-value shipments to enter the U.S. without full customs clearance. That exemption has been removed, meaning every shipment now requires customs entry with no exceptions. Brokerage charges may apply to all shipments — even low-value ones — and customers may face additional charges unless businesses explain the changes in advance.
One of the most important details on customs paperwork is the country of origin — and it is not simply where the product ships from.
The country of origin is where a product is manufactured or produced, or last underwent a substantial transformation that changed its name, character, or use. Simple assembly or repackaging does not qualify. Goods must be clearly and permanently marked with their true origin.
Misdeclaring origin can cause penalties, delays, or even shipment refusal.
Even with the correct classification codes, vague or incomplete product descriptions are one of the leading causes of customs delays. Terms like "parts," "kit," "accessories," or "miscellaneous" can trigger manual reviews and slow down clearance.
A strong customs description includes plain language explaining what the product is, what it is made of, its intended use, and its condition (new, used, or refurbished).
Instead of "plastic container" — use "plastic container, 2L, for household food storage."
To navigate cross-border shipping successfully, businesses should budget for brokerage charges on all shipments, declare the correct country of origin according to applicable regulations, use clear and specific product descriptions to avoid inspections and delays, and communicate proactively with customers about possible new fees.
Cross-border shipping complexity is not going away. But businesses that get the details right — accurate paperwork, correct origin declarations, strong product descriptions — can reduce delays, control costs, and maintain customer trust even in an evolving shipping landscape.
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