US requires Entry Type 13 customs filing for postal parcels worth $2,500 or less from January 20, 2027

From January 20, 2027, sellers outside the US who post orders to US buyers need shipment-level customs data on each parcel, or it may be held or returned.

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Starting January 20, 2027, international postal packages valued at $2,500 USD or less that enter the US "must be filed electronically" in US Customs and Border Protection's ACE system. Etsy announced the change on October 19, 2026. The filing goes through a new process called Entry Type 13. Each entry needs shipment-level customs data, plus any information or documents that US agencies such as the FDA or CPSC require. Your postal carrier collects it.

Who it affects

Etsy's post is addressed to sellers who ship to US buyers from outside the US. The rule covers postal shipments only. Etsy says express carriers like FedEx, UPS and DHL "already collect this information."

The agency rules reach many product types. Etsy's examples are food, supplements, candles, toys, children's clothing, certain jewelry, and items with animal materials (feathers, shells, bone, leather) or plant materials (wood, cork, botanicals). Products applied to the skin are also on the list. Depending on what you sell, you may need extra documents such as compliance certificates. Etsy says: "You'll need to determine if the items you sell are affected."

What it means

After January 20, 2027, a parcel posted without the required data can stop at the border. Etsy's wording: "If required customs information isn't provided, your package may be held or returned."

For children's products and other CPSC-regulated goods, this builds on a rule already in force. Etsy's Help Center says that from July 8, 2026, importers of certain consumer products must submit safety certificate information electronically. Children's products need a Children's Product Certificate. For goods sent by postal mail, Etsy says using the CPSC Product Registry "is required." The Registry issues a reference ID that you include with the shipment's customs information.

Etsy hasn't put a price on any of this. The post mentions no Etsy fee.

What to do

  • List which of your products fall into the categories above, and gather any certificates you hold for them.
  • Etsy recommends connecting your shop to a free Zonos Verified Account to check whether items can ship to the US or need more documents. To connect, Etsy says to go to the Channels page in the Zonos Dashboard, select Add channel, choose Etsy, then select Connect and approve Zonos' request to access your orders and catalog. Zonos is a separate company, and Etsy notes that your use of it "is governed by the applicable Zonos terms."
  • If you post CPSC-regulated items, register them in the CPSC Product Registry now. Etsy's Help Center already lists it as required for postal imports under the eFiling rule.
  • Ask your postal carrier what data it will need from you and how you will submit it.

What we don't know yet

Etsy hasn't said which data fields postal carriers will ask for. It also hasn't said whether shipping labels bought on Etsy will pass the data automatically, or what happens to parcels already in transit on January 20, 2027. Etsy says it is "monitoring developments leading up to the January compliance date" and will update its post as it learns more.

Sources

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