For postal operators and e-commerce shippers
Entry type 13: informal mail entry filed by a licensed broker
CBP started the entry type 13 test in ACE production on September 22, 2026. A consignee that is not the owner or purchaser of the goods must use a licensed customs broker, who acts as importer of record.
Allied onboards volume accounts for entry type 13 and the monthly postal informal entry: foreign postal operators, postal consolidators, cross-border e-commerce shippers and platforms, forwarders and carriers. Each account starts with a data test on a sample of your shipments.
- In ACE since
- September 22, 2026
- Value limit
- $2,500 or less
- Filer
- Owner, purchaser or licensed broker
- Bond
- Single transaction or continuous
- 19 CFR 113.62
What changed for mail
De minimis suspension for all countries
Executive Order 14324 of July 30, 2025 suspended duty-free de minimis treatment for all countries from this date. Executive Order 14388 of February 20, 2026 continued the suspension. The bona fide gift exemption (19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(A), 19 CFR 10.152) is not affected.
New mail rule and entry type 13 test published
CBP published an interim final rule (IFR), docket USCBP-2026-0761. It amended 19 CFR 145.12 and added a bond requirement in 19 CFR 145.15. A Federal Register notice of the same day (2026-12668) announced the entry type 13 test.
New postal informal entry process
19 CFR 145.12(b) took effect. The filer emails a monthly worksheet to CBPDM@cbp.dhs.gov and pays through Pay.gov. Only the owner or purchaser, or a licensed customs broker, can file. Non-broker qualified parties lost the right to file. CBP officers no longer prepare mail entry forms, and the addressee no longer pays duty on delivery for these shipments.
Entry type 13 in ACE production
CBP started the entry type 13 test (Informal Mail Entry) in ACE production. The test is voluntary and needs no separate application. It runs until CBP ends it with a Federal Register notice.
- Compliance date
Compliance date for PGA and chapter 98/99 mail
19 CFR 145.12(a)(2)(v) and (vi) apply from this date. Until then, CBP permits PGA mail and chapter 98/99 mail of $2,500 or less on the postal informal entry.
Statutory repeal of de minimis
The repeal of the de minimis exemption in Public Law 119-21 takes effect.
October 22, 2026: compliance date for PGA and chapter 98/99 mail
From this date, mail of $2,500 or less with PGA requirements, chapter 98 or 99 duties, or a chapter 98 or FTA duty-free claim can no longer use the postal informal entry. It needs a formal entry, or an entry type 13 while the test runs.
Three routes for a mail shipment
| Compare | Postal informal entry | Entry type 13 | Formal entry (type 01) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | 19 CFR 145.12(b), from July 24, 2026 | ACE test, Federal Register notice 2026-12668, in production from September 22, 2026 | 19 CFR 145.12(a) |
| Value | $2,500 or less | $2,500 or less | Any value. Required over $2,500. |
| Eligible goods | Goods classifiable only in HTSUS chapters 1 to 97. Not quota or AD/CVD goods, or the alcohol and tobacco products that the rule lists. PGA and chapter 98/99 mail only until October 22, 2026. | Also goods with PGA requirements or chapter 98/99 duties, for example Section 232, 201 or 301 duties. Not AD/CVD or quota goods. | Any goods. CBP can require formal entry of any mail shipment (19 CFR 145.12(a)(1)). |
| How it is filed | Monthly Excel worksheet, emailed to CBPDM@cbp.dhs.gov | Electronic entry in ACE, one for each shipment | Electronic entry in ACE, mode of transport 50 (mail), non-AMS |
| How duty is paid | Pay.gov, no later than the 7th day of the month after arrival | Per entry | Per entry |
| Merchandise processing fee (MPF) | Exempt, as the IFR states (19 CFR 24.23(c)(1)(v)) | We confirm it on your quote | 0.3464% of the value, with a minimum and a maximum that CBP adjusts every fiscal year |
| Bond | Basic importation and entry bond, single transaction or continuous (19 CFR 113.62, 145.15) | Basic importation and entry bond, single transaction or continuous (19 CFR 113.62) | Single transaction or continuous bond |
| Who can file | Owner or purchaser, or a licensed customs broker designated by the owner, purchaser or consignee | Owner or purchaser, or a licensed customs broker appointed by the owner, purchaser or consignee. For any other consignee, the broker is importer of record. | Owner or purchaser, or a licensed customs broker designated by the owner, purchaser or consignee |
PGA: partner government agency. AD/CVD: antidumping and countervailing duties. IFR: the interim final rule of June 24, 2026 (docket USCBP-2026-0761).
Who needs a licensed broker now
Foreign postal operators
A foreign postal operator that is the consignee, and not the owner or purchaser, cannot file entry type 13 or the postal informal entry itself. It must use a licensed customs broker. For entry type 13, the broker acts as importer of record, and the broker's bond is obligated.USPS as consignee
The same rule applies when USPS is the consignee. USPS is not the owner or purchaser of the goods, so a licensed customs broker files the entry.Forwarders and carriers
A freight forwarder or a carrier that is the consignee also needs a licensed customs broker. A carrier that transports mail can also report the foreign postal tracking number on its manifest, so CBP can match each parcel to its entry.Former qualified parties
Non-broker qualified parties lost the right to file postal informal entries on July 24, 2026. Now only the owner or purchaser, or a licensed customs broker designated by the owner, purchaser or consignee, can file.
The data CBP expects
| Data element | Typical source in a postal flow |
|---|---|
| 1. Filer code | The licensed broker files under its own filer code. Allied's filer code is 9AJ. |
| 2. Importer of record (IOR) number | Agreed at set-up for the party that acts as importer of record. |
| 3. Description of merchandise | Item description in the electronic CN22/CN23 data, or the seller's product data. |
| 4. Country of origin | Origin in the CN22/CN23 data, or the seller's product data. |
| 5. All applicable 10-digit HTSUS numbersPrimary (chapters 1 to 97) and secondary (chapters 98 and 99) | Allied classifies each item. An HS code in the declaration data is a starting point. |
| 6. Quantity and weightOnly if a specific duty rate applies | Item quantity and weight in the CN22/CN23 data. |
| 7. Duty rate | From the HTSUS classification. |
| 8. Value | Declared value and currency in the CN22/CN23 data, or the order record. |
| 9. Total duty owed | Calculated from the value, the rates and, for a specific rate, the quantity or weight. |
| 10. Carrier name | Dispatch and flight data from the postal operator or the carrier. |
| 11. Tracking number from the foreign postal operatorACE record SE15 | The UPU S10 item identifier on the parcel: 2 letters, 9 digits, 2 letters, for example CT123456789DE. |
| 12. Arrival port | Dispatch and flight data: the U.S. port where the mail arrives. |
| Sender nameACE record SE30 | Sender block of the CN22/CN23 data. |
| Sender addressACE record SE35 | Sender block of the CN22/CN23 data. |
| PGA dataOnly if an agency requirement applies | Product and party data for the agency. We tell you which fields apply to your goods. |
| Chapter 98 and 99 dataOnly if a chapter 98 or 99 provision applies | Allied adds the chapter 98 or 99 lines at classification, with the data that each provision needs. |
How Allied works with volume accounts
- You
Connect your data
Send shipment data to Allied by API or by file. We map your fields to the entry type 13 data elements and to the postal informal entry worksheet.
- Allied
Run a data test
We test the data on a sample of your shipments. We report each gap, for example a missing sender address or a description that is not specific enough to classify.
- Allied
Classify and screen
We classify each item to 10 digits, including chapter 99 lines, and screen it for PGA requirements.
- You
Set up the bond and the importer of record
We agree with you which party acts as importer of record and which bond covers the entries: a basic importation and entry bond, single transaction or continuous (19 CFR 113.62). You appoint Allied with a customs power of attorney.
- Allied
File the entries
We file each shipment on the route that fits it: entry type 13 in ACE, the monthly postal informal entry worksheet for CBPDM@cbp.dhs.gov, or a formal entry (type 01). The data test confirms the routes for your goods.
- Allied
Pay duty and send statements
We pay the duty to CBP and send you a statement that lists each entry and its duty. For postal informal entries, the payment goes through Pay.gov no later than the 7th day of the month after arrival.
- Allied
Handle exceptions and holds
When CBP requires formal entry for a parcel, CBP notifies the addressee with a CBP Form 3509. We file the formal entry (type 01). We also answer CBP holds and questions on your entries.
Why Allied
Licensed U.S. customs broker
Allied CHB Inc. is a licensed U.S. customs broker in Rahway, New Jersey. Our CBP filer code is 9AJ.High-volume e-commerce clearance
In the last 12 months, we cleared more than 65 million e-commerce parcels through five U.S. ports of entry. Before the de minimis suspension we filed Section 321 entries (type 86). Now we file informal (type 11) and formal (type 01) entries.API data intake and status reports
We take shipment data by API or by file. Our clearance platform can send parcel status back to your systems by API.Filing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Our clearance platform files manifests and entries automatically, in every hour of every day.One broker for all three mail routes
Entry type 13 for each shipment, the monthly postal informal entry for eligible mail, and formal entry when CBP requires it.Formal entries for detained mail
When CBP holds a parcel and asks for formal entry on a CBP Form 3509, we file the type 01 entry. Detained mail service
Questions about entry type 13
Is entry type 13 mandatory?
No. Entry type 13 is a voluntary ACE test. It runs until CBP ends it with a Federal Register notice.
Does entry type 13 need an application?
No. The test has no separate application. The filer needs the right to make entry, a basic importation and entry bond (19 CFR 113.62) and complete data for ACE.
Can a foreign postal operator file entry type 13 itself?
Only if it is the owner or purchaser of the goods. The test lets the owner or purchaser file, or a licensed customs broker that the owner, purchaser or consignee appoints.
A consignee that is not the owner or purchaser, such as a foreign postal operator, USPS, a freight forwarder or a carrier, must use a licensed broker. The broker acts as importer of record, and the broker's bond is obligated.
Which goods are not eligible for entry type 13?
Goods subject to antidumping or countervailing duties (AD/CVD) and quota goods are not eligible. They need formal entry. Mail over $2,500 also needs formal entry.
CBP can also require formal entry of any mail shipment (19 CFR 145.12(a)(1)).
What happens after October 22, 2026 to PGA and chapter 99 mail under the postal informal process?
It can no longer use the postal informal entry. October 22, 2026 is the compliance date for 19 CFR 145.12(a)(2)(v) and (vi).
From that date, mail of $2,500 or less needs formal entry if it is subject to the requirements of another government agency (PGA), is subject to duties under HTSUS chapter 98 or 99, or claims duty-free treatment under chapter 98 or a free trade agreement. Entry type 13 is the informal option for this mail while the test runs.
What is the monthly postal informal entry, and who can file it now?
It is the postal informal entry process in 19 CFR 145.12(b). It took effect on July 24, 2026, for eligible mail of $2,500 or less that is classifiable only in HTSUS chapters 1 to 97. The filer emails a monthly Excel worksheet to CBPDM@cbp.dhs.gov and pays through Pay.gov no later than the 7th day of the month after arrival.
Only the owner or purchaser, or a licensed customs broker designated by the owner, purchaser or consignee, can file. Non-broker qualified parties can no longer file. The filer needs a basic importation and entry bond (19 CFR 145.15). The IFR states that these entries are exempt from the merchandise processing fee.
How does CBP match a parcel to its entry?
By the tracking number that the foreign postal operator gives the item. An entry type 13 carries it in ACE record SE15. Carriers that transport mail can report the same number on their manifest, so CBP can match each parcel to its entry.
What bond do we need?
A basic importation and entry bond, single transaction or continuous (19 CFR 113.62). The postal informal entry needs the same bond (19 CFR 145.15). When a licensed broker acts as importer of record for a consignee under entry type 13, the broker's bond is obligated.
What if CBP requires formal entry for a parcel?
CBP can require formal entry of any mail shipment to protect the revenue (19 CFR 145.12(a)(1)). CBP then notifies the addressee with a CBP Form 3509, Notice to Addressee of Arrival of Mail Shipment. The addressee has 30 days from the date of the notice (19 CFR 132.25). After that, CBP treats the parcel as refused and returns it to the sender.
Allied files the formal entry (type 01). See detained mail and CBP Form 3509.
Where do we send comments on the test to CBP?
Email cbpdm@cbp.dhs.gov with the subject "Comments on the Entry Type 13 Test". CBP also lists CREM@cbp.dhs.gov and ESAR@cbp.dhs.gov as contacts for the test.
Talk to us about your mail volume
Call (908) 291-8001 or email mail@alliedchb.com
Last reviewed September 24, 2026. This page explains customs rules in general terms. It is not legal advice. Duty rates and CBP procedures change often, and we confirm the figures for your shipment in writing before you commit.