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A federal customs rule will suspend the de minimis exemption for low-value international mail starting Oct. 22, adding data and bond requirements that could affect Americans who order prescription drugs from Canada. The rule applies to international shipments broadly, not specifically Canadian medicines, and officials have not clarified how personal-use prescriptions will be handled.
A U.S. customs rule scheduled to take effect Oct. 22 will suspend the exemption that let shipments valued under $800 pass through customs more easily, potentially making it harder for Americans to receive prescription drugs ordered from Canada. The rule applies to international mail generally, not Canadian medicines specifically, but it will require additional shipment data and a bond guarantee and could lead to delays, refusals or added costs for patients.
The change by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) targets the so-called de minimis exemption for low-value goods. Once it is suspended indefinitely, medications mailed from outside the United States will face new data and bond requirements. The rule also covers other products, including textiles and toys, and is intended to help collect tariffs and prevent illegal drugs from entering the country.
About 2.3 million Americans bought drugs abroad, according to a 2020 study published in JAMA Network Open. The practical effect on individual prescriptions is not yet clear, but advocates say the new requirements could make shipments more difficult to process. Ken Hunter, executive director of the Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation, cited apixaban, sold as Eliquis, as an example: his organization’s August comparison put a three-month supply of 180 5-mg pills at $565 from a Canadian mail-order pharmacy, versus about $1,017 through Amazon’s pharmacy arm and $1,029 through GoodRx.
Allison Schuster, a White House spokesperson, said President Donald Trump remains committed to lowering prescription costs and pointed to the administration’s most-favored-nation agreements with drugmakers. The source report also says federal data from this summer showed U.S. prescription prices were down 3.1% from a year earlier, the steepest year-over-year decline since 1963. Experts cited in the report said factors beyond the administration’s policies likely contributed to that decrease.
Access to Lower-Cost Prescriptions
For patients relying on mail-order medicines, the rule could add uncertainty to an already price-sensitive way of obtaining treatment. Some people use Canadian pharmacies because the drugs cost less there or, as in the case described by patient Susan Hooper, because the medications they need are not available in the United States. If shipments are delayed, refused or made more expensive, patients may have to find another source or pay substantially more.
The issue also puts the administration’s stated goal of lowering drug costs alongside a customs policy that critics say could make some lower-cost medicines harder to obtain. The likely effect will vary by patient and medication. The rule does not itself specify a new price for any drug, and the cited price comparison is an advocacy group’s example, not a nationwide estimate of what patients will pay.
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The Exemption and Drug-Price Debate
The de minimis exemption previously allowed packages worth less than $800 to enter through a simpler customs process. The Oct. 22 change suspends that treatment indefinitely and introduces requirements for low-value shipments across many categories of goods. The rule is not written specifically to restrict Canadian prescription imports, but the new process applies to medication sent through international mail.
The rule arrives as Trump has made prescription affordability part of his healthcare agenda, including most-favored-nation drug agreements and the TrumpRx discounted-drug website, according to the report. Advocates argue those measures will not cover every medicine or every patient. A separate Florida program to import Canadian prescription drugs, authorized by the federal government, has stalled, the report says.
Political opposition has come from both parties. Three Florida Republican representatives—Aaron Bean, Gus M. Bilirakis and C. Scott Franklin—wrote to the administration last month about possible effects on constituents who cannot readily travel to Canada. More than 70 Democrats also wrote to health and immigration enforcement officials last week, asking them to pause the rule unless they could guarantee that medicines for personal use would remain accessible.
“The Trump administration continues working to ensure Americans have access to low-cost pharmaceuticals across the board.”
— Allison Schuster, White House spokesperson
How Prescription Parcels Will Be Handled
It is not yet clear how CBP will apply the new data and bond requirements to prescriptions intended for personal use, whether shipments will face consistent delays or refusals, or what added costs patients might incur. CBP did not respond to requests for comment in the report. The rule does not specifically single out Canada or prescription drugs, so its precise impact on Canadian pharmacy orders remains uncertain.
Hooper said tariffs imposed on Canada in August had already raised the price of her Canadian-sourced theophylline, which she takes for her airways. The supplied report ends before giving the new price, so the amount of that increase cannot be confirmed here. Hunter’s apixaban figures are a comparison from his organization’s study, not a forecast of the prices that will apply after Oct. 22.
Federal Response Before October 22
The rule is scheduled to take effect on Oct. 22. Before then, federal officials could drop or alter it, or decide not to enforce it, according to the report. Lawmakers are asking the administration to explain how personal-use medicines will be protected, but the report does not identify a public response from CBP or a confirmed change to the rule.
Patients and pharmacies will need clearer guidance on what shipment information and guarantees are required, and how officials will treat prescription parcels once the exemption is suspended. Until that guidance is available, the scale of any delays, refusals or added costs remains unknown.
Key Questions
What changes on Oct. 22?
The de minimis exemption for shipments valued under $800 is scheduled to be suspended indefinitely. Low-value international mail, including medication shipments, will face additional data and bond requirements.
Does the rule specifically ban drugs from Canada?
No. The rule applies to international mail generally, not specifically to Canadian medicines. The report says it could nevertheless make some medication shipments harder to process or receive.
How many Americans may be affected?
A 2020 JAMA Network Open study estimated that about 2.3 million Americans bought drugs abroad. That figure is not an estimate of how many people will experience delays or lose access because of this rule.
Have officials said how personal prescriptions will be treated?
Not in the source report. CBP did not respond to requests for comment, and lawmakers have asked the administration for assurances. The effect on individual orders remains unclear.
Source: rss
