By Kamal Choudhury
Oct 15 (Reuters) - The US government has delayed by 90 days implementation of new customs requirements for small international mail shipments, a move that should forestall higher prices for imported prescription drugs and other products for inflation-weary Americans until after the November midterm elections.
The US Customs and Border Protection rule targets the de minimis tariffs exemption, which has eased requirements for shipments under $800. The rule aimed to speed up implementation
of changes authorized by US lawmakers as part of President Donald Trump's spending and tax-cut bill, which are due to take effect in July 2027.
The agency said on Wednesday it has pushed the mandatory compliance date for a new mail entry process to January 20, 2027, from October 22. That prior deadline was just 12 days before the November 3 elections in which US households' affordability woes are a central issue dogging Trump's Republican Party with control of Congress up for grabs. It said there would be no changes to international mail entry procedures before then.
The process requires electronic filing for postal shipments subject to Section 201, 232 or 301 duties, or under the jurisdiction of a partner government agency such as the US Food and Drug Administration. It also involves a customs bond.
As the October 22 deadline approached, patient advocates and industry groups had warned the rule's data and bonding requirements could cause delays, refusals or added costs for personal drug orders.
IMPACT ON PHARMA
The FDA officially bars individuals from importing foreign prescription drugs, but it has discretion in limited circumstances. Some Americans order medicines from other countries like Canada, where the cost of drugs can be sharply lower.
The Canadian International Pharmacy Association has said most routine personal orders from licensed foreign pharmacies could be disrupted.
A separate letter signed by 71 members of Congress, led by Democratic Representatives Jan Schakowsky of Illinois and Wisconsin's Mark Pocan, asked agencies to delay the procedures for prescription medicines unless personal-use drugs were assured.
“For patients concerned about losing access to lower-cost prescriptions from abroad, this delay is a welcome reprieve, but not a permanent solution," said Merith Basey, CEO of Patients For Affordable Drugs.
"Until patients in the US can get access to the prescription drugs they need at prices they can afford, disrupting existing personal-importation practices risks an important safety valve.”
The Department of Health and Human Services referred questions to CBP, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether personal-use exemptions are planned.
CBP said the extension gives importers, brokers and logistics providers more time to update processes, helps avoid disruptions and will close gaps that have been exploited by smugglers.
CBP's announcement did not mention medicines, and the rule does not name them.
(Reporting by Kamal Choudhury in Bengaluru; Editing by Caroline Humer, Dan Burns and Bill Berkrot)
