USPS Tightens Regulations on Cross-Border Small Packages, New Hazardous Materials Fee Introduced
The United States Postal Service (USPS) will tighten hazardous material shipping rules starting July 12, listing essential oils, perfumes, and lithium battery electronic products as restricted items. Sellers sending these goods will need to pay an additional processing fee of $7.50 and comply with strict declaration requirements, with violations facing substantial fines.
What are the key facts?
- 1Effective Date: July 12, 2026
- 2Restricted Items: Essential oils, perfumes, lithium battery electronics, etc.
- 3Additional Fee: $7.50 per item
- 4Fines: Up to $50 per item
What happened?
USPS announced that effective from July 12, 2026, it will adjust its hazardous materials processing rules, formally listing essential oils, perfumes, hand sanitizers, and lithium battery electronic products as restricted items. Shipping these items will incur an additional processing fee of $7.50 and must be declared as per regulations, with incorrect declarations facing fines up to $50 per item. Additionally, USPS will raise the base shipping rates for small packages.
What does this mean for cross-border sellers?
Beauty and 3C category sellers should promptly verify SKU compliance, assess the costs of switching to logistics providers such as FedEx/UPS, and update their order processing systems to preset additional fees to avoid returns or penalties due to underreporting.