TITLE: CBP Entry Type 13 Test: What International Sellers Need to Know
Entry Type 13 Goes Live in ACE Production
On 22 September 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) deployed the voluntary Entry Type 13 (ET 13) electronic informal mail entry test to the ACE Production environment.
This is a major operational change for international sellers. The U.S. de minimis exemption is now indefinitely suspended for relevant mail and non-postal shipments. Low-value goods entering the USA may now require an electronic entry, even when the shipment value is $2,500 or less.
The change affects sellers in the UK, EU, Canada and Australia, including Amazon FBA operators, Shopify merchants, digital brands with physical products and U.S. importers of record.
Understand What Changed on 22 September
ET 13 creates an electronic filing route for qualifying international mail shipments valued at $2,500 or less.
CBP first deployed the functionality to the ACE Certification environment on 24 July 2026. It is now live in ACE Production under:
- INT-057: Implementation of Entry Type 13 Test in ACE for U.S. Mail Processing.
- CBP-290: Mail Entry Type 13 Test.
- The related Federal Register framework, including CBP’s Entry Type 13 test notice.
The test is voluntary and will continue until CBP announces its conclusion. Interested parties may submit comments throughout the test period.
This does not mean that every low-value shipment must use ET 13. It means eligible parties now have an electronic informal entry option instead of relying on the former duty-free de minimis route.
Check Whether You Can File ET 13
Under 19 CFR 143.26(a), an ET 13 filing may be made by:
- The owner of the merchandise.
- The purchaser of the merchandise.
- A licensed customs broker properly designated by the owner, purchaser or consignee.
A foreign postal operator cannot file as the importer of record. Postal operators, USPS, carriers and freight forwarders may support the process or participate in manifest transmission, but they do not replace the eligible importer of record.
You will also need a basic importation and entry bond before filing. This can be either:
- A single transaction bond.
- A continuous bond.
CBP will not release the shipment without the required bond coverage. Review CBP’s official bond guidance and confirm that your bond is active in ACE before your next postal shipment arrives at the port of arrival.
Prepare Complete Shipment Data Before Filing
ET 13 is not a simplified “ship first, document later” process. You must prepare accurate shipment-level data.
Required information includes:
- Filer code and importer of record number.
- Arrival port, carrier and flight number.
- Country of origin.
- Arrival date.
- Foreign postal operator tracking number.
- Duty type.
- Clear merchandise description.
- Ten-digit HTSUS classification.
- Quantity and weight, where applicable.
- Customs value.
- Duty rate and total duty owed.
Three postal data elements are particularly important:
- SE15: Foreign postal operator tracking number.
- SE30: Shipper or sender name.
- SE35: Shipper or sender address.
SE15, SE30 and SE35 are mandatory. Missing information can create an ACE error and delay release.
Map your products to the correct ten-digit HTSUS classification before dispatch. Do not rely only on an Amazon, Shopify or supplier description. Your customs classification must reflect the actual product, materials, use and country of origin.
Know Which Shipments Cannot Use ET 13
ET 13 is not available for every international mail shipment.
Shipments must use formal entry procedures when they are:
- Valued above $2,500.
- Subject to quota requirements.
- Subject to antidumping or countervailing duties.
From 22 October 2026, HTSUS Chapter 98 and Chapter 99 goods and shipments requiring Partner Government Agency data will also be excluded from the ET 13 route.
A delayed compliance window applies through 22 October 2026. During this period, certain shipments valued at $2,500 or less that involve PGA data, Chapter 98 or 99 duties, or free trade agreement treatment may use the new postal informal entry procedures.
After 22 October, you should expect to use either:
- The ET 13 electronic route, where eligible.
- A formal entry process.
CBP may also require a formal entry for a shipment of any value where it considers this necessary to protect revenue or confirm admissibility.
Budget for Monthly Duty Payments
Duties under the international mail process are paid monthly through ACH debit using Pay.gov.
Payment is due by the seventh day of the month following the shipment’s arrival.
Build this payment into your cash-flow process. For example, duties on eligible mail shipments arriving during September may be due by 7 October.
ET 13 does not attract a Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF). However, you still need to budget for:
- Import duty.
- Broker charges, where a broker files the entry.
- Bond costs.
- Storage or delay charges if data is incomplete.
- Other applicable government agency requirements.
Record each duty payment against the relevant shipment or batch. This will make your customs reconciliation and margin reporting more accurate.
Let Carriers Match the Shipment to the Entry
Carriers can participate voluntarily by transmitting the foreign postal operator tracking number on the manifest.
When both the carrier and filer participate, CBP can match:
- The shipment’s arrival information.
- The tracking number on the manifest.
- The corresponding ET 13 filing.
This creates a clearer audit trail. Ask your postal provider, carrier or logistics platform whether it is participating and whether the tracking number will be transmitted consistently.
The process applies across US-wide operations, including shipments entering through different ports of arrival. Do not assume that a shipment handled through a particular hub will avoid the same ACE requirements.
Separate ET 13 from FBA Inbound Freight
ET 13 is designed for international postal mail. It is not a general entry type for every shipment sent to an Amazon fulfilment centre.
For example:
- UK postal shipments to U.S. customers may qualify for ET 13 if all conditions are met.
- China-to-USA postal shipments may qualify if they use the international postal network and meet the requirements.
- Air freight, ocean freight, courier shipments and many FBA inbound movements do not use ET 13.
- FBA inbound freight must be reviewed under the applicable non-postal entry process, usually with the carrier or licensed customs broker.
- The separate suspension of de minimis treatment for non-postal modes means you should not assume that a low-value courier or freight shipment remains duty-free.
Keep postal, courier and FBA freight flows separate in your records. They may have different entry types, duty calculations, broker arrangements and supporting documents.
Review Your Importer of Record Before the Next Shipment
CBP’s importer-of-record data enforcement also began on 18 September 2026.
CBP can no
