Service, Regulatory Updates and Important Notifications

Effective August 29, 2025 at 12:01 a.m. EDT, the duty-free de minimis treatment will be removed regardless of the country of origins of the products. The de minimis treatment has been removed for products of China and Hong Kong SAR China since May 2, 2025. 

Effective August 7, 2025 at 12:01 a.m. EDT, the reciprocal tariffs will change from 10% to higher rate for some countries/territories as follows: 

• July 31, 2025 executive order sets out the new reciprocal tariff rates for countries and territories in Annex I, ranging from 10% to 41%. Please refer here.

• For all other countries and territories not listed in the Annex I, they are subject to a 10% reciprocal tariff. 

• No change to reciprocal tariffs on products of China, Hong Kong SAR China, and Macau SAR China. 

Since the situation is fluid, please stay tuned for updates at fedex.com. Visit our U.S. Tariff Information Hub to get essential tips of shipping to the U.S. 

Our recommendations for customers to avoid customs delay

Customers who ship to the United States should provide the necessary information below on the air waybill and/or commercial invoice to avoid customs delay:

1. Strong description of the products customers are shipping on the air waybill:

1. What is it?

2. How many are there?

3. What is it made from?

4. What is the intended use?

5. What is the country of manufacture? 

2. 10-digit H.T.S. code for proper duties-and-taxes estimations on the air waybill

• H.S. codes of the textile and apparel products that need MID code information can be found here. 

• Customers can use FedEx Global Trade Manager to estimate any duties and taxes applicable to your shipment. User guides here.

• Customers who use FedEx API can add Rate API for getting estimate Duties and Taxes. For technical assistance related to FedEx API, please reach out to your local Customer Technology representative or send an email to APAC FedEx API support team at apacfedexapi@fedex.com.

3. Manufacturer Identification Code (MID) for commercial use shipments as below on the air waybill and commercial invoice is mandatory for: 

1. Textile and apparel products for certain commercial use regardless of customs value and countries or origin;

   • MID is not required for personal use textile and apparel shipments;

     • Personal use is defined as:

       1. Customs paperwork specifically indicates “Personal Use goods” OR

       2. Informal entry, no more than ten (10) pieces of each style of garment, and consigned to a named individual at what appears to be residential address

2. Certain Partner Government Agencies commodities, e.g. FDA-regulated products

Remarks: Specific H.S. code of commodities/items might still require an MID code even if it’s considered not required above. H.S. codes of the textile and apparel products that need MID code information can be found here. 

4. Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Social Security Number (SSN) of the consignee is required for products using formal entry for the clearance process. Missing EIN or SSN of the consignee will lead to shipment being caged by the U.S. customs and returned to the shipper. Customers should input the EIN or SSN of the consignee in the Tax ID field of the FedEx shipping tools.

Incorrect or incomplete information submitted for customs clearance may be subject to service delay.

Since the situation is fluid, please stay tuned for updates at fedex.com.

FAQ 1: What is a Manufacturer Identification Code (MID)?

MID code is one of the required information for import clearance into the U.S. It’s used as an alternative to the full name and address of a manufacturer, shipper or exporter and is always required for U.S. formal customs entries. MID code must be shown on the commercial invoice for import clearance into the U.S.

The MID code is used on paperwork presented to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the good's recipient.

H.S. codes of the textile and apparel products that need MID code information can be found here.

FAQ 2: How to identify FDA-regulated commodities? 

You can look up for the FDA-regulated commodities on the FDA official website here. 

FAQ 3: How do I generate a Manufacturer Identification Code (MID code) for U.S. import and input into the FedEx shipping tools? 

Please refer to the step-by-step guide on our U.S. tariff information hub here. 

The Ministry of Commerce of China has issued the annually updated Catalogue of Dual-Use Items and Technologies Subject to Import and Export License Administration ("Catalogue"), Export Control List of Dual-Use Items of the People's Republic of China ("List"), and relevant export control announcements on dual-use items ("Announcements"), which implement an export licensing system for dual-use items listed therein. To ensure smooth transportation of your goods, please carefully verify before placing an order whether the goods fall under the controlled items specified in the above-mentioned documents. If they do, please obtain a valid export license for transportation. Additionally, the Ministry of Commerce may prohibit the export of specific dual-use items or restrict their export to specific countries/regions, organizations, or individuals. Please closely monitor and strictly comply with the latest announcements issued by the Ministry of Commerce. Export control violations of dual-use items may result in detention, return of goods, and potential legal liabilities.

For detailed information on the List, Catalogue, and Announcements, please visit the official websites of the Ministry of Commerce and the Bureau of Industry Security (https://www.mofcom.gov.cn/index.html) and Import and Export Control of the Ministry of Commerce（https://aqygzj.mofcom.gov.cn/）

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. We will continue to provide you with high-quality services as always.

We are glad to announce that FedEx Ship Manager^TM at fedex.com now features cutting-edge enhancements powered by the latest AI technology, making it easier than ever for our customers to find precise H.S./H.T.S. codes for their international shipments and prevent customs delays. The new features will roll out gradually in June 2025.  

By simply entering just a keyword of a commodity, customers can quickly locate the H.T.S. code via the enhanced lockup function (User guide here) in FedEx Ship Manager^TM at fedex.com. Alternatively, FedEx Global Trade Manager at fedex.com also provides the H.T.S. code search option (User guide here).

Please be reminded that when shipping products with country of origin from China and Hong Kong SAR China to the United States, providing accurate H.T.S. codes is mandatory. This requirement applies regardless of the shipment's origin. Air waybill cannot be created from certain shipping tools if H.T.S. code is not provided. To ensure smooth experience, we highly encourage you leverage the above digital tools to provide accurate H.T.S. code and avoid customs delay.  

Access our dedicated website for latest updates, tips and tailor solutions to assist you navigate the tariff changes with ease.   

FedEx is committed to providing unparalleled support and service to our customers. We are here to assist you with every step of the way as you adapt to these changes. Thank you for choosing FedEx, where your satisfaction is our top priority.   

Since the situation is fluid, please stay tuned for updates at fedex.com. 

According to the latest announcement of the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council, China will implement additional tariffs on imports to China of some products originating from the United States and Canada. 

1. Effective from March 10, 2025, China imposed additional tariffs on some imports to China originating from the U.S. as follows: 

• An additional 15% tariff on chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton. 
• An additional 10% tariff on sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, aquatic products, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. 
• In-scope shipments originating from U.S. origin before March 10, 2025, and imported between March 10, 2025, and April 12, 2025, will not be subject to the additional tariffs. 

2. Effective from March 20, 2025, China will impose additional tariffs on some imports to China originating from Canada as follows: 

• An additional 100% tariff will be imposed on rapeseed oil, oil cake, and peas. 
• An additional 25% tariff will be imposed on aquatic products and pork.  

The additional tariffs will be imposed on the relevant products based on their current commodities tax status. The existing tax-free and tax-reduction policies will remain unchanged, and the additional tariffs imposed will not be reduced or exempted. To illustrate:

3. Effective April 4, 2025, export controls on the following seven types of rare earths for all destinations (not only the U.S.): samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, yttrium. The above seven items are added to the Dual-use items list published by the Ministry of Commerce of China 
4. Effective from April 11, 2025, additional tariffs of 125% on ALL US imports. 

• This is on top of any existing Chinese tariffs on US imports.  

• No exemptions will apply to this additional tariff of 125%.  

• Current bonded and exemption policies on existing tariffs remain. 

• Goods already in transit from origin before April 10, 2025 12:01 a.m. China Time and arriving China between April 10, 2025 12:01 a.m. and May 13, 2025 23:59 p.m. China Time, are not subject to this additional tariff. 

• Effective April 10, 2025 12:01 a.m. China time, the declaration of related shipments was adjusted as follows:  

a. All CAT C shipments that the certificate of origin is United States need to make formal customs declaration when imported to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Shanghai gateway in China. 

b. This change doesn’t apply to eCommerce, CAT A and CAT B shipments. 

c. Please refer to the supplementary information here for:

• The definitions of different CATs of shipments 

• The destination cities which are covered by the Guangzhou and Shenzhen gateways 

• The required customs clearance documents for the affected CAT C shipments 

• FAQ 

5. China’s countermeasure tariffs on products with country of origin of the United States will decrease from 125% to 34%. Of the 34%, 24% will be suspended for 90 days, i.e. only 10% will remain in effect in the meantime. It will take effect before May 14, 2025 (exact timing to be confirmed). Other non-tariff countermeasures are expected to be suspended or cancelled subject to the official announcement from the authority.

The situation is fluid. Please stay tuned at fedex.com for latest updates. 

Effective immediately, FedEx International Priority® services from China to Saudi Arabia are reinstated. Select FedEx services into Saudi Arabia from select* origin countries still remain temporarily suspended. We will resume service as soon as possible and regret any delays or inconvenience this may cause.

List of origin countries from where the service is suspended: 

Please stay tuned at fedex.com for the latest updates. 

In light of the recent tariff changes that may affect your shipments into the United States, we are committed to ensuring a smooth customs clearance process and supporting you through these changes.

1. Effective May 2, 2025, to help ease the impact, we are introducing a lower fee structure for Disbursement Fee and Duty and Tax Forwarding Fee on shipments valued at USD800 or below importing into the United States.

¹ Merchandize Processing Fee is paid as part of the customs entry process to offset to the U.S. CBP’s operation and support annual appropriation.

• Informal entry: MPF: Min. $2.62 or 0.3464% of the customs value 

• Formal entry: MPF: Min. $32.71, 0.3464% of the customs value, or Max. $634.62 

2. To facilitate a seamless experience, effective April 25, 2025, when sending B2C shipments containing products with country of origin from Mainland China or Hong Kong SAR China to the United States, you must provide a valid FedEx account number (“D&T Account”) to settle duties and taxes payment. If the shipper does not provide the D&T Account, we will not be able to process the shipment.

Reminder: For shipping products with country of origin from China or Hong Kong SAR China to the U.S., if required information, e.g. MID or 10-digit H.T.S. code, is missing, we will contact customers to obtain the missing information. Shipments without proper information will cause customs delay or shipment return. 

3. Effective April 25, 2025, Air waybill will not be able to be created through selected shipping tools if the required information is not provided as below.

4. Effective April 25, 2025, Non-account holders sending shipments containing products with country of origin from Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR China to the United States will be required to pay a Duty and Tax Deposit equivalent to the estimated tariff of the shipment. We strongly recommend customers opening a FedEx account to enjoy the shipping discount and seamless shipping experience with our digital tools.

FedEx Support Tools

To help you navigate these changes, we offer the following support for you:

• Estimate Duties and Taxes: 
  • Use FedEx Global Trade Manager at fedex.com to estimate any duties and taxes applicable to your shipment. Please click here to kick start.
  • If you use FedEx API to ship with FedEx, you can add Rate API for getting estimate Duties and Taxes. For technical assistance related to FedEx API, please reach out to your local Customer Technology representative or send an email to APAC FedEx API support team at apacfedexapi@fedex.com. 
  
  
• U.S. Tariff Information Hub: Access our dedicated website for latest updates, tips and tailor solutions to assist you navigate the tariff changes with ease.

FedEx is committed to providing unparalleled support and service to our customers. We are here to assist you with every step of the way as you adapt to these changes. Thank you for choosing FedEx, where your satisfaction is our top priority.

Since the situation is fluid, please stay tuned for updates at fedex.com.

The Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China have successively issued lists including the Unreliable Entities List, the Dual-Use Items Export Control List, and the Counter-Sanctions List. According to relevant regulations, entities or individuals included in the above lists will face restrictive measures when conducting import and export business activities related to China.

To ensure the smooth transportation of your goods, please pay close attention to the latest announcements issued by government departments and carefully verify the sender and recipient information before placing orders to ensure they are not included in the restricted parties or counter-sanction lists of the Chinese government. If the sender or recipient is within the restricted scope, your goods may not be arranged for transportation.

For details of the lists, please visit the official websites of the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation, and we will continue to provide you with high-quality services.

Effective today, tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to the United States are modified.

• Steel: Tariffs imposed on steel imports will be restored to 25% for all countries.

• Aluminum: Tariffs imposed on aluminum imports will increase from 10% to 25% for all countries, except Russia (which is 200%).

The proclamations terminate existing exemptions on imports from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, the EU, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, and the UK.

Eligible steel and aluminum imports will continue to receive de minimis treatment

These tariffs primarily target raw steel and aluminum imports, including semi-finished products such as slabs and ingots. However, some processed products may also be affected depending on the level of processing and their classification under the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS).

In addition, the recent presidential proclamations on steel and aluminum identify new derivative steel and aluminum articles to be covered by the tariffs at a future date.

To provide you with more efficient and convenient services, and to ensure that your shipments arrive safely and in compliance with regulations, customers can only select FedEx International Priority services* for restricted commodities**. Please see the below detailed instructions.

• For customers in Northern China and Eastern China, the new requirement was started from December 16, 2024.

• For customers in Southern China, the new requirement will be started from March 15, 2025.

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding and look forward to continuing to provide you with superior service.

Remark:

* FedEx International Priority services: FedEx International Priority® Express, FedEx International Priority®, FedEx International Priority® Freight, FedEx International Priority® DirectDistribution, FedEx® International Connect Plus, FedEx® Customized Freight, FedEx International First®, FedEx Priority Alert.

** Restricted commodities that require a Non-Dangerous Goods (NG) certificate for safe air transport, including lithium batteries.

For further information, please contact your Sales Representative. You can click the button “Ask FedEx” in the lower right corner of our official website to communicate with FedEx Virtual Assistant. You can also follow our official WeChat account FedEx China to contact our online Customer Service, or call our Customer Service Hotline at 4008861888/8009881888 (FedEx-brand service) or 8008209868/4008209868 (TNT-brand service).

On December 30, 2024, the Mexican government published regulations modifying simplified customs clearance, adding restrictions, and adjusting and expanding information requirements on the clearance of express shipments arriving in Mexico. The regulatory changes applicable to the simplified clearance of express shipments took effect on January 1, 2025.

Key regulatory requirements to keep in mind when shipping to Mexico:

• Simplified import clearance of express shipments will only be available for shipments valued below USD2,500. Shipments in the USD1,000-2,500 bracket will require the consignee to be registered in the Importer’s Registry (Padrón de Importadores) of the Tax Administration Service (www.sat.gob.mx).
• Shippers sending goods to Mexico intended for customs clearance under simplified entry (Pedimento Clave T1) will be required to provide additional and more detailed information about their shipments, particularly regarding the precise description of the goods and the consignee's full name, complete address, email address, phone number, Mexican Tax ID (“RFC”) and Personal ID (“CURP”). Providing both RFC and CURP when creating shipments is mandatory and enforceable starting March 1, 2025. Shipments consigned to foreign nationals (non-Mexican citizens) may include other acceptable ID numbers: Passport Number, Tax ID or Social Security Number (SSN). Shipments consigned to Mexican businesses and legal entities must include their RFC, whereas those consigned to Mexican nationals under 18 years of age must include their CURP. Any shipment missing the above details will be returned to its country of origin billed under the shipper’s account.
• Generic description of goods being shipped (e.g.: “Clothes”, “Gifts”, “Shoes”, “XYZ”, “SKU N° XXXXX”, etc.) and inaccurate shipper’s name (e.g.: “Unknown”, “X”, etc.) are prohibited by Mexican Customs and could impede the shipment from being cleared; and
• The previously available USD50 de minimis duty and tax exemption threshold has been eliminated.

Please click here for details on this and other regulatory changes (English-only).

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced that it will begin rejecting any U.S. import shipment data containing vague descriptions effective November 12, 2024. If CBP rejects a vague cargo description, then FedEx may decline the shipment at origin or may hold the shipment at origin until complete data is submitted.

FedEx customers are reminded of the importance of providing precise cargo descriptions when creating their shipments with FedEx to ensure their shipments comply with CBP’s regulations. After the effective date, any shipments identified by CBP as containing vague descriptions will be rejected by CBP and may incur delays.

Precise descriptions accurately describe what the goods are made of and their intended use. Examples include “children’s toys made of plastic” rather than “toys” and “women’s dresses made of 60% cotton 40% polyester” rather than “clothing”.

To learn more about writing a clear commodity description, watch our video here on fedex.com. Additionally, CBP has provided a list of examples to illustrate how to create a precise commodity description, which you can find here.

With this enforcement in place, manual air waybills destined for the United States will experience a 1-day transit extension. To minimize any impact on your shipments, we encourage customers to utilize FedEx online shipping tools to create shipments.

For further information and support related to this enforcement, please contact your sales representative or FedEx customer service team.

We have received reports of fraudulent emails claiming to come from BillingOnline@fedex.com. These messages have a vague subject referencing an invoice (e.g. “Your FedEx invoice is ready to be paid now,” “Please pay your outstanding FedEx invoice,” “New FedEx Invoice,” “Your FedEx invoice is ready,” “Pay your FedEx invoice online”).

If you receive a message matching this description do not open the email or enter any personal information. Delete the email immediately.

FedEx does not send unsolicited emails to customers requesting information regarding packages, invoices, account numbers, passwords or personal information.

Go to our FedEx FedEx Trust Center to learn more about protecting yourself online. By following a few simple tips, you can make your online experience safer and more secure.

For more information on other fraudulent emails, you can visit our U.S. website by clicking here.

It has come to our attention that a fraudulent e-mail with unauthorized use of the FedEx name has been circulating to our customers. The e-mail claims that a FedEx shipment could not be delivered and asks the customers to open an attachment, print it out and take it to a FedEx facility to pick up the package.

Customers need to be aware that this is a fraudulent request and that this e-mail attachment contains a virus. If you have received one of these fraudulent e-mails, do not open the attachment, but delete the email immediately.

FedEx does not request payment or personal information in return for goods in transit or in FedEx custody via unsolicited mail or e-mail.

If you have received a fraudulent e-mail that claims to be from FedEx and have experienced resulting financial loss, contact your banking institution immediately through the appropriate channels.

*FedEx is not responsible for any charges or costs incurred as a result of unauthorized or fraudulent activity that abuses the FedEx name, service marks and logos.