Why Shipping from Japan to the U.S. Changed in 2025 - What Small Businesses Are Facing
- mikster
- 10 hours ago
- 3 min read
What Changed in U.S. Import Policy in 2025?
In August 2025, a major shift occurred in U.S. import policy.
For decades, the United States allowed duty-free entry for parcels valued under $800 under the “de minimis” rule. This exemption enabled affordable international shipping for small businesses and individual consumers.
That exemption has now ended.
Every commercial shipment entering the United States from Japan is subject to formal customs processing — regardless of value.
This change has significantly altered how small international businesses operate.
What Happened to Japan Post Shipping to the U.S.?
National postal operators, including Japan Post, were not structured to immediately process full customs clearance requirements for every commercial parcel. And when the new policy was announced in 2025 with no detail information, post offices where not able to process any parcel received. As a result, they immediately suspended commercial parcel shipping to the U.S. even to date.
For small exporters in Japan, this meant losing access to the most affordable shipping channel overnight.
Why DHL and FedEx Charges Processing Fee?
Private carriers such as DHL and FedEx have integrated customs brokerage systems and can process formal entries. Even then, it took them a few weeks to understand the situation and quickly modify their system and labor resource to adapt:
Every shipment now requires clearance.
Tariff rate for each product category has to be confirmed with US and set into the system.
Clearance involves documentation review.
Clearance requires brokerage processing.
These added layers resulted in increased in both shipping rates and processing fees.
These fees are determined by the carrier and U.S. Customs — not by the seller.
How U.S. Tariffs Affect Small Japanese Businesses
Large corporations may absorb these additional costs.
Small independent businesses cannot.
Many small Japanese sellers have:
Suspended U.S. shipping entirely
Increased minimum order requirements
Restricted low-value shipments
Chosen to focus on Asia, Europe and domestic markets
For craft-based businesses working with rural artisans, the impact is significant.
Margins shrink.
Customer disputes increase.
Administrative workload multiplies.
Why Some of Us Continue Shipping to the U.S.
Despite the operational challenges, some small businesses continue serving U.S. customers.
Not because the new system is easy, but because long-term relationships matter.
For businesses sourcing from rural Japanese artisans who do not have international distribution channels, stopping overseas sales has broader consequences.
Shipping to the U.S. now requires:
More documentation
More manual labor to fulfill orders
Higher upfront logistics costs
Greater risk of customer dissatisfaction
But international craft exchange remains important.
What U.S. Customers Should Know Before Ordering
Import duties are determined by U.S. Customs, based on tax rate assigned to each product category (tools, apparel, kitchenware etc...)
Carrier processing fees are charged by DHL or FedEx for submitting documents, answering clearance questions, facilitating communications, and up-front paying Import Duty for the U.S. Importer.
Sellers do not receive these fees.
The regulatory environment has shifted globally, not selectively.
Understanding this helps reduce confusion and unnecessary friction between customers and small overseas businesses.
Looking Ahead
International shipping regulations continue to evolve.
Small businesses must adapt quickly to maintain cross-border trade while staying compliant.
Customers who value independent makers and global craft exchange may see higher logistics costs, but those costs reflect structural policy changes, not opportunistic pricing.
Final Thoughts
Global craft ecosystems rely on trust and transparency.
Shipping from Japan to the U.S. in 2026 (and in the foreseable coming years ) is fundamentally different than in 2024.
Clarity — on both sides — helps keep independent businesses viable in an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.
For the most up-to-date operational details - including shipping rates, estimated duties, and return policy terms - please refer to our official U.S. Import & Tariff Policy (2026 Update) page:
What We Are Doing to Help
To partially offset the added logistics cost, we offer a $15 tariff support discount for U.S. orders. While this does not cover duties, it reflects our effort to share part of the burden with our customers. Use coupon code TARIFFRELIEF to get $15 off any $100 order.