14.09.2026 Regulation #USA #Import #E-commerce #Logistics

CBP starts production test of new mail entry type ET13 on September 22

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will launch, on September 22, 2026, a production-environment ACE test of a new entry type — Entry Type 13 (ET13), the "Informal Mail Entry" — an electronic simplified filing process for international mail shipments valued at $2,500 or less, including shipments that previously qualified for de minimis treatment. The test was announced in a CBP notice published in the Federal Register on June 24, 2026 (document 2026-12668) and will continue until CBP publishes a separate notice concluding it. A month later, on October 22, 2026, the simplified mail process will exclude goods claiming Chapters 98/99 of the HTSUS, preferential treatment under free trade agreements (FTA), and goods subject to partner government agency (PGA) controls, which will require formal entry instead.

What gets filed in ACE under entry type 13

• The party entitled to file may submit the entry in ACE itself, or do so through a properly appointed licensed customs broker (Federal Register, 2026-12668).
• Required data elements include the filer code, importer-of-record (IOR) number, merchandise description, country of origin, 10-digit HTSUS classifications (Chapters 1–97, plus 98/99 where applicable), quantity or weight, duty rate, value, total duties owed, carrier name, tracking number and port of arrival (same source).
• A basic importation and entry bond is mandatory — either a single transaction bond (STB) or a continuous bond — under the terms of 19 CFR 113.62.
• The test's legal authority is 19 CFR 101.9(a); participation is voluntary and does not require a separate application.
• From the outset, goods subject to antidumping/countervailing duties (AD/CVD) or quotas remain excluded from ET13 and require formal entry (Federal Register, 2026-12668).

What changes on October 22

From that date, the list of exclusions from the simplified mail process expands: goods claiming benefits under Chapters 98/99 of the HTSUS, preferential FTA duty rates, and goods regulated by partner government agencies (PGAs) will move to formal entry (Troutman Pepper Locke).

From de minimis to informal mail entry

The changes affect e-commerce sellers shipping goods to the US by mail (including via USPS), customs brokers, and postal operators. Back on July 24, 2026, mail shipments already moved from de minimis to a transitional informal mail process (Troutman Pepper Locke), and on the same day the ET13 test was deployed to the ACE CERT test environment (CBP CSMS bulletin #69289734). Duties continue to be paid monthly through the Pay.gov portal using the "International Mail Duties" form, generally by the 7th of the month following arrival, with data submitted via a monthly International Mail Duty Worksheet listing 10-digit HTSUS codes and country of origin (Troutman Pepper Locke). Late payment triggers interest charges, offsets against refunds, and possible suspension of release privileges (same source). According to Troutman Pepper Locke, this transitional regime is temporary: the full statutory repeal of de minimis under Pub. L. 119-21 takes effect on July 1, 2027 (same source).

Primary sources

• Test of the New Electronic Informal Entry Process for Mail (CBP, Federal Register, govinfo mirror)
• Federal Register: Test of the New Electronic Informal Entry Process for Mail
• CBP CSMS #69289734: Entry Type 13 deployment to ACE CERT/PROD
• Troutman Pepper Locke: Navigating CBP's New International Mail Entry Process

This material is for information only and does not constitute legal advice or customs consulting. Verify changes against the primary sources before acting.