US De Minimis Exemption Suspended 2026: What Every Importer and E-Commerce Seller Must Do Now
The US de minimis exemption has been suspended. Since August 29, 2025, every commercial shipment entering the United States, regardless of value, regardless of country of origin, and regardless of shipping method, is subject to formal customs entry, 10-digit HTS classification, and full duty payment. The $800 threshold that allowed 1.36 billion packages to enter […]
The EU Digital Product Passport Makes Your Importer Liable
On 19 July 2026, the European Commission switches on the Central Digital Product Passport Registry and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation reaches full application. Almost nothing happens. No product on any shelf in Europe becomes illegal that morning, no shipment gets turned away at Rotterdam, and most importers of IT hardware will not notice […]
Section 301 Electronics Exemption: The 24 July Tariff Cut
An importer with servers landing in early August is budgeting for a 10% surcharge that will not exist by the time the goods clear. On 24 July 2026, the Section 122 import surcharge expires by operation of law. Most of the market is being told the same thing about that date: do not celebrate, because […]
Who Is Liable When a Reseller Imports Hardware for a Client?
In 2026, a reseller sells a client a data centre buildout: servers, GPU clusters, switching, and the power hardware to run it, shipped to another country. The client wants it delivered, installed, and live. Simple enough as a sale, until the goods reach the destination border and customs asks the question that stops the shipment: […]
The Silent Middle: What Actually Happens to Your Hardware Between the Purchase Order and the Rack
A server refresh signed off in March, set for late April, is still half-installed in July. No port strike, no customs seizure, no single failure to blame. The delay hid where hardware projects almost always lose time: the operational stages between the factory and the rack, where the shipment changes hands and no one owns […]
Wrong HS Code on the Invoice: What to Do, Step by Step
You are looking at a commercial invoice and the HS code on it does not match the goods. Maybe it covers similar hardware but not this specific product. Maybe it is the code the supplier always uses regardless of what they ship. Either way, you are about to make a legally binding declaration to customs […]
How Long Does Customs Clearance Take in 2026? The Honest Answer Is Two Answers
Every guide to this question gives you an average, and the average is the least useful number in customs. The honest answer to how long does customs clearance take is that there are two answers, not one. If nothing about your shipment raises a flag, clearance is fast: often hours for express and air freight, […]
HS Codes for Electronics and Tech Equipment: The 2026 Field Guide
The same GPU can cost three different amounts to import, and nothing about the chip changes. Shipped as a bare component, it enters under one code, duty-free in most major markets. Mounted on a module and presented as a processing unit, it moves to a code that in the US can now carry a 25 […]
HS Code for Medical Devices: 9018 Explained, Subheadings, Duty, and Regulatory Approval
The HS code for medical devices is heading 9018, covering instruments and appliances used in medical, surgical, dental, and veterinary sciences. But for medical devices, the code is rarely what stops the shipment. The real barrier is regulatory: a device can be correctly classified and low-duty and still be refused at the border for lacking […]
HS Code for Solar Panels and Inverters: 8541 and 8504 Explained, Duty, and Trade Tariffs
The HS code for solar panels is heading 8541, and the inverters that pair with them sit under 8504. The classification is usually simple. What makes solar hard to cost is that the base duty is often zero, yet solar cells and modules are among the most heavily trade-taxed goods anywhere, carrying anti-dumping, countervailing, and […]