U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published a final rule in the October 22, 2026 Federal Register that moves the compliance date for the postal rule’s formal entry requirements from October 22, 2026, to January 20, 2027. The same day, CBP modified its Entry Type 13 test so filers can submit an electronic mail entry before their Partner Government Agency (PGA) data is complete. Importers, e-commerce sellers, and licensed customs brokers handling mail shipments subject to PGA requirements, Chapter 98 or 99 duties, or Chapter 98 and free trade agreement claims now have a published date and a lower barrier to start filing Entry Type 13. 

Key Takeaways 

  • On October 22, 2026, CBP published a final rule setting January 20, 2027, as the compliance date for the postal formal entry provisions in 19 CFR 145.12(a)(2)(v) and (vi) (91 FR 66638). 
  • The rule covers mail shipments subject to Partner Government Agency (PGA) requirements, subject to duties under HTSUS Chapter 98 or 99, or claiming duty-free treatment under Chapter 98 or a free trade agreement. 
  • CBP stated that the extension does not change the process currently used for informal mail entries during the delay, and that parties may come into compliance earlier. 
  • In a separate notice effective October 22, CBP modified the Entry Type 13 test to temporarily accept entries that are not accompanied by complete electronic PGA data. CBP will announce the end of that acceptance in a future Federal Register notice (91 FR 66707). 
  • Comments on CBP’s Low-Value Shipments proposal, which would replace the current postal informal entry process with Entry Type 13, are due December 7, 2026. 

The Postal Rule’s Formal Entry Deadline Is Now January 20, 2027 

Duty-free de minimis treatment has been suspended for all countries under Executive Order 14324, as we covered in De Minimis No More: What It Means for Importers and Consumers. On June 24, 2026, CBP published an interim final rule (IFR) that indefinitely suspends the de minimis administrative exemption for merchandise arriving through the international postal network and establishes a new informal entry process for mail shipments valued at $2,500 or less (91 FR 37801). The suspension took effect June 24, 2026, and the rest of the IFR took effect July 24, 2026. 

The IFR made certain mail shipments ineligible for the new postal informal entry process: merchandise subject to PGA requirements, merchandise subject to duties under Chapter 98 or 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), and merchandise for which duty-free treatment is claimed under Chapter 98 or a free trade agreement. Those shipments require formal entry under 19 CFR 145.12(a)(2)(v) and (vi), and the IFR delayed compliance with those two provisions to October 22, 2026. 

CBP announced on October 14 that it would extend that date, as we noted in Breaking Trade News: CBP Informal Entry Deadline Extended. The October 22 final rule makes the extension official (91 FR 66638; RIN 1685-AA45). 

What the October 22 Final Rule Says 

  • New date. The compliance date for 19 CFR 145.12(a)(2)(v) and (vi) is January 20, 2027. 
  • Covered shipments. The rule names all three IFR categories: PGA requirements, Chapter 98 or 99 duties, and Chapter 98 or free trade agreement duty-free claims. 
  • Stated reason. CBP determined that importers, brokers, and logistics providers in the international postal network need more time to update internal systems, develop procedures for submitting data, and build the technology needed to comply, and that not extending could disrupt international postal shipments. 
  • No change in the interim. CBP stated that the delayed date does not change the process importers and other parties currently use for informal mail entries during the delay. 
  • Early compliance. Importers or other parties may voluntarily come into compliance earlier if their processes are in place. 
  • After January 20. CBP stated that at the end of the delayed compliance window, filers may choose formal entry or participate in the Entry Type 13 test for eligible shipments. 
  • No comment period. CBP issued the extension as a final rule under the Administrative Procedure Act’s good cause exception, finding notice and comment impracticable because a comment period would have run past October 22. 

The final rule resolves a question raised by CBP’s October 14 release, which described the January 20 group as shipments subject to Section 201, 232, or 301 duties or PGA jurisdiction. The published rule also expressly covers Chapter 98 duties and Chapter 98 or free trade agreement duty-free claims. 

Entry Type 13 Filers Can Start Before PGA Data Is Complete 

Entry Type 13 is a voluntary CBP test of an electronic informal entry in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) for international mail shipments valued at $2,500 or less. It began September 22, 2026. The test provides an informal entry pathway for mail shipments subject to PGA data requirements or to duties other than those in HTSUS Chapters 1-97, which are ineligible for the postal informal entry process. 

In a notice effective October 22, 2026, CBP modified the test (91 FR 66707): 

  • Participants with shipments subject to PGA data requirements may transmit PGA data electronically in ACE with their Entry Type 13 filing. 
  • CBP will also temporarily accept an Entry Type 13 that is not accompanied by complete electronic PGA data. CBP stated the purpose is to let filers begin using Entry Type 13 while they work toward submitting complete PGA data. 
  • CBP will announce the end of this temporary acceptance in a future Federal Register notice. The notice does not set an end date. 
  • Merchandise subject to Chapter 98 or 99 duties, or claiming duty-free treatment under Chapter 98 or a free trade agreement, must still transmit the additional data those requirements mandate. 

DTL’s read: The modification addresses what CBP will accept on an Entry Type 13 transmission. The notice does not state that any PGA’s own requirements change. Filers using the temporary acceptance should keep building toward complete PGA data, because CBP can end the acceptance by notice at any time. 

Key Dates 

Which Mail Shipments Are Affected 

Shipments subject to antidumping or countervailing duties (AD/CVD) or quotas are ineligible for Entry Type 13 and must be entered under formal entry procedures (91 FR 38007). 

According to the Entry Type 13 test notice, the suspension does not affect the de minimis exemption for qualifying bona fide gifts under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(A) and 19 CFR 10.152. 

How Importers Should Use the Time Before January 20 

The following steps are DTL’s recommendations for companies that move goods through the international postal network. 

  1. Map your mail volume by category. Sort mail shipments by whether they carry PGA requirements, Chapter 98 or 99 duties, Chapter 98 or free trade agreement claims, or AD/CVD or quota exposure. Each group follows a different path in the table above. 
  2. Decide between formal entry and Entry Type 13. For eligible shipments in the three covered categories, CBP identified two options after January 20: formal entry or the Entry Type 13 test. Price both against your volume now. 
  3. Start filing Entry Type 13 now if PGA data is the bottleneck. CBP’s temporary acceptance lets you test the filing, bond, and broker workflow before your PGA data feed is finished. In our experience, data and bond gaps surface on the first filings, and it is better to find them while current procedures remain unchanged. 
  4. Confirm who has the right to make entry. Under the test, the importer of record is the owner or purchaser of the merchandise, or a licensed broker properly appointed by the owner, purchaser, or consignee who acts as importer of record. A consignee who is not an owner or purchaser must obtain the services of a licensed customs broker who acts as importer of record. 
  5. Put the bond in place. Filing an Entry Type 13 requires a basic importation and entry bond, either a single transaction bond or a continuous bond, with the terms and conditions in 19 CFR 113.62. 
  6. Build the entry data. Entry Type 13 test filers submit the filer code, importer of record number, merchandise description, country of origin, all applicable 10-digit HTSUS classifications (including secondary Chapter 98 or 99 numbers), quantity and weight where specific duty rates apply, duty rate, value, total duty owed, carrier name, the foreign postal operator tracking number, and the arrival port. 
  7. Account for test-participant exposure. The test notice states that participants who fail to follow the test terms, fail to exercise reasonable care, fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations that have not been waived, or fail to pay duties, taxes, or fees on time may be subject to civil and criminal penalties, administrative sanctions, liquidated damages, or other enforcement action. 
  8. Comment on the Low-Value Shipments proposal. Comments are due December 7, 2026, under docket USCBP-2026-0298 on regulations.gov. We summarized the proposal in CBP Proposes Bonds and Earlier Filing for Low-Value Informal Entries: Comments Due December 7. 

Where This Leaves Mail Importers 

CBP’s October 8 proposal would terminate the current informal postal entry process and require Entry Type 13 for informal postal shipments, with electronic filing upon or before the date of importation, a bond, and additional data elements (91 FR 64532). The October 22 documents do not change that proposal. 

DTL’s read: The October 22 rule changes the date for three categories of mail, not the direction of the mail rules. The test modification is the more useful development for most filers, because it removes PGA data as a reason to wait. Companies that use the next three months to settle who files, secure a bond, and run live Entry Type 13 filings will be positioned for January 20 and for whatever final rule follows the October 8 proposal. 

Diaz Trade Law advises importers, e-commerce sellers, and licensed customs brokers on postal entry obligations, Entry Type 13 readiness, bonding, and comments on the Low-Value Shipments rulemaking. Contact us at info@diaztradelaw.com or (305) 456-3830. 

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Attorney Advertising. This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.  

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