Changes for shipments to USA: Moldovan Post Office announces new rules and fees for parcels with goods

Shipments to the United States of America will be subject to new rules, following a global decision to suspend the de minimis exemption. Starting April 30, 2026, Moldovan Post Office has implemented temporary solutions to allow the resumption of postal services for items containing goods to this destination, in the context of introducing additional customs duties for goods worth up to 800 USD.

The changes arise from an executive order from Washington, which suspends the Duty-Free De Minimis facility for all countries, imposing stricter control and taxation on postal imports.

Gift shipments: rules for tax exemptions

According to the postal authority, citizens can continue to send parcels to the USA without paying additional customs duties, but only if they are classified as a GIFT. To benefit from this exemption in all postal units across the country, the following conditions must be met simultaneously: Parcel value: The total value of the goods in the shipment must not exceed 100 USD. Purpose of shipment: The shipment must be strictly non-commercial. Mandatory marking: The word "GIFT" must be clearly indicated on the customs declaration.

"It is important to note that if the U.S. Customs and Border Protection decides that a parcel is still subject to taxation, the duties will initially be paid by the postal operator, and the sender will then be required to reimburse these amounts," Moldovan Post Office states.

Commercial shipments and high-value parcels

For shipments that cannot be declared as gifts, receipt will be carried out exclusively at MD-2000 postal unit, with the following fee schedule applied: Value between 0.01 USD and 800 USD: In addition to the standard postal tariff, the sender will pay a customs duty of 10% of the value of the goods. A disbursement fee will also be charged, calculated as 10% of the customs duty, plus a fixed fee of 1.49 USD per shipment.

Value over 800 USD: In this case, customs duties are no longer paid at the time of dispatch in Moldova, but will be collected directly from recipients in the USA, in accordance with the applicable U.S. legislation.

Limitation of liability

Moldovan Post Office reminds customers that in accordance with the provisions of the Universal Postal Union Convention, the postal operator is not responsible for the accuracy of customs declarations completed by senders. The institution also cannot intervene in decisions made by U.S. customs authorities following the inspection of shipments.

Those interested in additional details can consult official information on the websites of U.S. customs authorities or on the official White House page regarding the suspension of the Duty-Free regime.