What changed for under-$800 FBA tests
China and Hong Kong first
The US removed duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value goods from China and Hong Kong effective May 2, 2025.
Global suspension followed
A later executive action suspended duty-free de minimis treatment for commercial shipments globally effective August 29, 2025.
2026 planning baseline
Plan test orders with duties, customs data and delivery responsibility included before comparing courier, DDP air or sea freight.
Small FBA test order checklist
| Decision | What to confirm before pickup | Why it matters now |
|---|---|---|
| HTS and product description | Product name, material, use, HTS candidate, photos and spec sheet. | Wrong classification can break the landed-cost estimate and delay entry. |
| Country of origin | Manufacturing country, not only supplier address or export port. | Origin drives duty and tariff treatment. |
| Declared value | Commercial invoice value, currency, unit quantity and freight terms. | Small orders can still be duty-bearing; under-declaration creates customs risk. |
| Importer responsibility | Whether the seller, forwarder, broker or DDP provider is importer of record. | Amazon is not the importer of record for FBA inbound freight. |
| Entry and fee handling | Brokerage, duties, taxes, carrier fees and payment timing. | A cheap parcel quote can become expensive after entry charges are added. |
| Amazon handoff | FBA labels, carton labels, box content data, destination FC and appointment plan. | Customs clearance does not replace Amazon receiving requirements. |
How this changes seller behavior
Before the suspension, some sellers tested a few cartons by courier and treated the under-$800 threshold as a margin shortcut. That model is no longer reliable for FBA planning. The safer workflow is to price the test shipment like a real import, even when the cargo is small.
- Do not split a commercial order into multiple parcels to avoid duties.
- Do not assume the supplier's courier label covers importer and entry responsibility.
- Ask for duties, brokerage, taxes and delivery-to-Amazon charges in the quote, not after pickup.
- Keep sample economics separate from replenishment economics. A test order often has a higher landed cost per unit.
- Use the same HTS, invoice and FBA label discipline on tests that you expect to use on replenishment orders.
Three practical test-order paths
Courier sample
Useful for product inspection or photos, but quote it with duty and entry costs visible. It is not automatically the cheapest way to test FBA.
DDP air to FBA
Useful for small launch quantities when speed matters. Ask what duties, entry fees and Amazon delivery steps are included.
LCL or consolidated sea
Useful when tests are heavy, bulky or closer to replenishment size. Slower transit can lower freight cost per unit.
Quote-ready packet after de minimis
Related ForwarderOne pages
For a test-order freight workflow, use small Amazon FBA seller freight forwarding. For China-to-FBA routing, use Amazon FBA freight forwarding from China to USA. For landed-cost examples, use China to USA FBA shipping cost examples.
De minimis and FBA test order FAQ
Did de minimis end for China-to-USA FBA test orders?
Yes. Duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value goods from China and Hong Kong ended effective May 2, 2025, and a later global suspension took effect on August 29, 2025.
Does the $800 threshold still make my FBA parcel duty-free?
No. Sellers should not plan 2026 commercial FBA shipments as duty-free just because the declared value is under $800. Verify the current entry rules and duties before shipping.
Can I split one FBA test order into many small parcels?
Do not split commercial cargo to avoid duties. It can create customs risk, inconsistent Amazon receiving and higher total delivery costs.
Is DDP still useful for small FBA test orders?
Yes, but only if the quote clearly explains what is included: duty handling, brokerage, delivery to Amazon, label checks and any exclusions.
Should a first FBA test order ship by air or sea?
Use air when speed and launch timing matter. Use sea or consolidation when the cargo is bulky, heavy or close to replenishment size.
Sources checked
- White House fact sheet: closing de minimis exemptions for China and Hong Kong shipments
- White House fact sheet: suspending de minimis treatment for commercial shipments globally
- CBP: enforcing the end of the de minimis loophole
- CBP Information Center: mail duty waiver policy
- CBP Information Center: Executive Order 14324 international mail guidance
Need a landed-cost check before your first FBA test?
Send the invoice, product details, carton data and Amazon destination. ForwarderOne will compare courier, DDP air and sea options with de minimis assumptions removed.