Service, Regulatory Updates and Important Notifications

With the US suspending de minimis effective August 29, 2025, inbound shipments to the US, that are valued at or under USD 800, and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption, are now subject to applicable duties, to be paid in accordance with applicable entry and regular payment procedures.

FedEx will collect applicable Duties & Taxes (D&T) for US inbound shipments effectively immediately. The D&T collected will be

• Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) : FedEx will bill duty to the FedEx shipping account number provided on the Air Waybill or

• Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) : FedEx will attempt to collect duty from consignee based on the information provided on the AWB.

If D&T is unpaid by the US consignee for 45 days from shipment date, the D&T invoices will be rebilled to shipper.

To prevent rebills to shipper account, a shipper can

• Select ‘Duties & Taxes to be paid by shipper’ on the Air Waybill under the International Commercial Terms of Delivered Duty Paid (DDP), or 

• Provide consignee FedEx shipping account number on Air Waybill at the time of tendering the shipment to FedEx

FedEx recommends the following actions to avoid unexpected charges and ensure a smooth process:

Include a valid duty billing account: a valid FedEx shipping account number for duty billing is required to be mentioned on the FedEx Air Waybill.

Accurate documentation Is critical: Ensure shipment details including value of goods, HSN code, manufacturing details etc., are complete and accurate to avoid dispute on duty amount.

Communicate clearly with the consignee: Inform US consignee in advance that they may be liable for import duty charges upon delivery. Shipper to submit a Letter of Authority on company letterhead or official email ID from the consignee or new payor confirming acceptance of the D&T charges. This will enable FedEx to rebill consignee accordingly.

Prepare to re-bill consignee if necessary: If D&T is billed to shipper account due to consignee refusal:

• Shipper to provide consignee valid FedEx account number

• At the time of shipping, shipper submits a Letter of Authority from the consignee or new payor confirming acceptance of the D&T charges. This will enable FedEx to rebill consignee accordingly.

We anticipate that you may experience a service impact to the quoted transit time for shipments to and from India, due to a FedEx system outage.

Providing excellent customer experience is a top priority for us and we are actively assessing the situation to minimize any impact on our customers. We will share updates as they become available.

For more information on the status of your shipment, please visit fedex.com or tnt.com.

Due to changes in market conditions, Demand Surcharge will be reinstated for FedEx international parcel and freight shipments effective September 22, 2025.

Effective September 29, 2025, the correct postal code will be required for all FedEx shipments to and from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia. Without a full and accurate postal code, you will no longer be able to create shipping labels.

To prepare, we recommend that you update your address book now.

Here are some links to help

Effective August 29, 2025, the United States will remove the duty-free de minimis exemption for all low-value commercial shipments entering the country. Imported goods that are valued at or under $800 and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption are subject to all applicable duties, to be paid in accordance with applicable entry and regular payment procedures.

This change was announced on July 30 through an Executive Order from the President of the United States. It builds on a previous suspension that took effect in May, which applied specifically to products of  China and Hong Kong.

What this means for our customers

Duties and Taxes Apply: All imports from all countries, including those valued at or under $800, will now be subject to applicable U.S. duties and taxes. 

Payment of duties, fees, and taxes may be required before your package is delivered.

Ensure all shipment details are complete and accurate to avoid delays, with precise product description, specific monetary value and currency, and shipper and recipient details on the air waybill or commercial invoice, as well as other information needed for informal or formal clearance. Include the applicable Incoterm for each shipment.

What Businesses Should Do   

• First, determine if this change affects their business —only customers who previously relied on the de minimis low-value exemption for shipments to the U.S. will see an impact. If they typically ship higher-value goods or goods otherwise ineligible for de minimis, they are likely already following the more formal customs clearance processes.

• Since the de minimis threshold (previously allowing shipments valued at $800 and below to clear without duties and a streamlined paperwork process) is being suspended, shipments will require more difficult entry processes (along with payment of applicable duties, fees, and taxes).

• For affected shipments, anticipate that duties, fees, and taxes may now apply regardless of shipment value.

• Use our easy online tools to estimate potential duties and taxes before shipping or receiving packages.

• Consider using FedEx Electronic Trade Documents (ETD) to facilitate customs clearance.  FedEx provides updated guidance, tools, and support to help you navigate customs clearance smoothly. Our brokerage services can assist with paperwork and compliance before you ship to help minimize delays and ensure timely delivery.

• Review and update shipping documentation to comply with new requirements. 

IMPORTANT: Provide specific cargo descriptions when creating shipments with FedEx.

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

• What is it?

• How many are there?

• What is it made from?

• What is the intended use?

• What is the country of manufacture?

2. H.T.S. code (Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States) for proper duties-and-taxes estimations on the air waybill

3. MID code is one of the required information for import clearance into the U.S particularly for certain product category - such as Textile and apparel products for commercial use). Click here to know more 

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

In light of the above, it is extremely important for customers to accurately declare the country of origin for all shipments. U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) is scrutinizing this information very carefully.

The revised reciprocal tariffs for US bound shipments came into effect for countries and territories listed in the Executive Order 14257 (Executive Order), issued by President Donald Trump on August 7, 2025, 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).  

• New tariff rates for countries and territories listed in the revised Executive Order annexes will range from 10% to 41%. Refer Annex I to the Executive Order here.  
• On August 6, 2025, President Trump signed an updated Executive Order. Refer here imposing additional 25% ad valorem duty effective August 27, 2025.   
• Visit https://www.fedex.com/en-in/service-news/us-tariff-impact-on-international-business-shipping.html for further details.

The Customs Authority in Abu Dhabi has announced a new regulation to harmonize customs procedures and improve product classification accuracy.

Effective August 1, 2025, the Harmonized System (HS) Code will change from an 8-digit format to a 12-digit format for all inbound and outbound shipments to/from Rest of the World and GCC countries. Once the new 12-digit HS Code format is implemented, the customs system in Abu Dhabi will no longer accept 8-digit HS Codes. It is mandatory that the correct 12-digit HS Code be included in the Commercial Invoice for all shipments.

The Customs Authorities in Dubai have announced a new regulation to harmonize customs procedures and improve product classification accuracy.

Effective August 1, 2025, the Harmonized System (HS) Code will change from an 8-digit format to a 12-digit format. The Customs authorities in Dubai have implemented this change for all inbound and outbound shipments to/from GCC countries only i.e., Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. It is advised that the correct 12-digit HS Code be included in the Commercial Invoice for export / import to and from Dubai to ensure smooth customs clearance.  

Effective immediately, FedEx has reinstated its pickup and delivery services for shipments destined to Israel and Iraq.

Effective July 21, 2025, the Demand Surcharge for FedEx shipments to and from Israel will be revised. The surcharge will be reduced for shipments to Israel, and discontinued for shipments originating from Israel.

To keep providing you with the best possible shipping experience, we periodically review our shipping fees to reflect changing market conditions. These adjustments help us to continue delivering the reliable shipping solutions and exceptional service you rely on.

• Revised Dimension Rounding: FedEx will round every fraction of an inch/centimeter up to the next-higher inch/centimeter. This rounding up will change for all regions.

• Revised U.S. Inbound Processing Fee ¹: To cover additional cost incurred for clearance of U.S import shipments, the U.S. Inbound Processing Fee will be revised from USD1.5 to USD2.5 per shipment. This fee will be a part of the customer’s transportation invoice.

¹US Inbound processing fee not applicable on FICP

Due to changes in market conditions, FedEx will suspend Demand Surcharges applicable on Outbound / Inbound international movements from/to India. This change will be effective June 1, 2025. FedEx reserves the right to reassess and/or reinstate the Demand Surcharge at its sole discretion.

The applicability, duration, and amount of the Demand Surcharge is determined for each region based on regular assessments of shipping volume and available capacity within our network and other considerations.

As part of our commitment to enhance your experience and streamline our customer support services, we are standardizing our toll free numbers in India. Effective April 7, 2025, a single toll free number will be available for customers to contact FedEx and TNT Customer Care and Import Clearance Support.

Please note the updated contact number as below:

This change applies only to our toll free contact number - all other services, processes, and support channels will remain unchanged. You can continue to expect the same high standards of service and responsiveness from our team.

Dubai Airports has announced scheduled maintenance for the runway at Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) from April 7 and April 24, 2025.

All cargo and commercial airlines flying into and out of the airport will be impacted during the period, resulting in changes to the flight schedules of FedEx and other commercial flights.

All service changes have been carefully considered by FedEx, in line with our commitment to provide outstanding service to our customers.

Collaborative Shipping Tool, a new digital feature that helps simplify import shipments from different countries, is now available on FedEx Ship Manager^TM.

The tool enables seamless collaboration between importers and shippers, improving shipment visibility, flexibility and pickup efficiency. Customers can share the airway bill creation process for their import shipments with shippers, who can then review and edit shipment details and schedule pickup.

Additionally, customers remain in control by deciding which information shippers are permitted to edit and ensuring that sensitive details like shipping rates and the account stay secure.

Click here to discover more about Collaborative Shipping Tool.

For additional information and support, please contact FedEx Customer Service Team.

Effective immediately, FedEx is temporarily suspending Economy parcel and Freight (IE, IEF) services into Saudi Arabia from select* origin countries. 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:

On December 19 and 30, 2024, the Mexican government published regulations raising import duties for some textile and apparel goods, and modifying the simplified customs clearance, adding restrictions, and adjusting and expanding information obligations on the clearance of express shipments arriving in Mexico. The increase in tariffs took effect on December 20, 2024, while those applicable to the simplified clearance of express shipments effective January 1, 2025. Please click here for more information.

Money-Back Guarantee (MBG) is now reinstated for U.S. inbound shipments with a ship date starting February 11, 2025 for these services:
• FedEx International First®
• FedEx International Priority®
• FedEx International Priority® Express
• FedEx International Priority® Freight
• FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution®
• FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® Freight
Note: MBG was suspended for shipments with ship dates from January 29 – February 10.

Effective January 20, 2025, FedEx Surround® monitoring and intervention (M&I) suite will be available in India.

FedEx Surround® M&I leverages advanced shipment technologies to monitor shipments in near real-time, and intervene, when necessary, with 24x7 expert support. With three levels of service - Select, Preferred and Premium, the dashboard tools provide additional customized visibility and special handling for critical shipments.

Please click here to learn more about FedEx Surround® M&I suite.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is rolling out an automated capability to enforce the de minimis threshold that allows for the duty and tax-free entry of shipments with an aggregate value of $800 or less per person, per day.

Please be reminded that if a recipient’s aggregated imported shipments exceed the $800 de minimis daily threshold, then informal or formal entries may be required—including payment of all applicable duties, taxes, and fees—and may be subject to delays as a result.

To avoid potential clearance delays, FedEx encourages you to follow these best practices to remain in compliance with CBP guidelines:

• Provide precise cargo descriptions when creating shipments with FedEx.

  • These guidelines include a precise product description, specific monetary value and currency, shipper and recipient details, as well as an HS code (where required). Vague merchandise descriptions violate CBP guidelines and may delay clearance.

  • To learn more about writing a clear commodity description and HS code, watch our video here.
    

• If inbound shipments are heading to fulfillment centers:

  • Follow CBP’s guidance during shipment creation, including listing the consignee name as “[Merchandise Owner Name] c/o [fulfillment center name]”.

Ensure you are using FedEx Ship ManagerTM at fedex.com or the most updated version of FedEx shipping software.

Effective immediately, FedEx economy and freight services to Lebanon have been temporarily discontinued until further notice. We continue to accept International Priority (IP) shipments.
Providing excellent customer experience is a top priority for us and regret for any inconvenience this may cause.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced that it will begin rejecting any U.S. import shipment data containing vague or no descriptions, effective November 12, 2024. This rejection will make it impermissible to move shipments into/ transiting through the U.S. until complete and accurate data is submitted.

It is important to provide precise cargo descriptions when creating shipments with FedEx to ensure your 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. For more information, please refer to the CBP link here

FedEx is anticipating a surge in shipping volumes for the peak season. Effective October 14, and until December 31, 2024 (inclusive), we will temporarily adjust our transit times (TT) for FedEx.

The transit time extension will be in place until December 31,2024; at which time the situation will be reviewed. We appreciate your understanding and our apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Transit times will be temporarily adjusted, as below.

MEISA Direct- Serve Markets: India, UAE, Bahrain, Botswana, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Eswatini, South Africa, Zambia

MEISA GSP Markets: Angola, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Benin, Bhutan, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire/ Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Djibouti, Algeria, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Maldives, Mozambique, Niger, Nepal, Pakistan, Qatar, Réunion, Rwanda, Seychelles, Senegal, Togo, Tunisia, Tanzania, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia requires all customers shipping from within and outside the Kingdom.to enter a ‘short address code/ National address’ of the receiver/ consignee, to ensure faster delivery of your shipments.

This requirement is already in effect and, and has now become mandatory to follow, for all residents, citizens and companies operating inside Saudi Arabia.

If you have not already done so, please reach out to the receiver/ consignee of your shipment based in Saudi Arabia, for their ‘short address code/ National address’ so that you may input the code when creating your shipments.

For more information on the ‘short address code/ National address’, please visit https://splonline.com.sa/en/national-address-1/

The Indian Customs require a ‘Commercial Invoice / Invoice’ instead of a Pro Forma Invoice to facilitate inbound clearance of commercial shipments arriving into India. All shippers are advised to submit only ‘Commercial Invoice / Invoice’ with their shipments to expedite clearance. Additionally, the invoice must contain the below information:

• Importer on Record’s (IOR) complete name and address, postal address, contact details (telephone and email address)
• IOR name (legal business entity) name must match with the certificate of Import Export Code (IEC) and Goods and Service Tax Identification Number (GSTIN) of IOR
• Proper and specific description of goods instead of a generic description
• Quantity, unit of measurement, unit price, Harmonized System (HS) code, INCOTERMS
• The Invoice must be in English language only with specific value and currency
• The currency, value and INCOTERMS must be mentioned clearly
• Avoid statements like ‘Value for Customs purpose only’

FedEx does not request, via unsolicited mail, e-mail or text messages, payment or personal information in return for goods in transit or in FedEx custody. If you have received any such communication that claims to be from FedEx, do not provide any information or click on any links or attachments.  Learn how to identify fraud and what to do if you receive such communications.

If you have any questions or concerns about services provided by FedEx, please visit FedEx Shipping Services or contact FedEx Customer Service.

We anticipate that you may experience a service impact to the quoted transit time for shipments to and from India, due to a FedEx system outage.

Providing excellent customer experience is a top priority for us and we are actively assessing the situation to minimize any impact on our customers. We will share updates as they become available.

For more information on the status of your shipment, please visit fedex.com or tnt.com.

 FedEx International Priority inbound and outbound service to and from Ukraine has been reinstated covering the majority of Ukrainian postal codes. Pick-up and delivery services will be performed according to local authority instructions, where it is safe and possible. 

All Russian and Belarusian FedEx International services continue to be suspended until further notice.

Continue to check this page for updates. For specific shipment status information, please track your shipment at fedex.com.