Blog

20 FEBRUARY UPDATE:

On 20th February 2026, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled that tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) are illegal. As a result, President Trump issued presidential actions to continue suspension of the duty-free De Minimis treatment, and impose a temporary import tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 (Section 122) from February 24, 2026.

As of February 24, 2026, the following changes apply:

1. IEEPA Tariffs are no longer collected and,
2. Section 122 of the Trade Act (1974) will be applied to all imported goods, regardless of their value or country of origin.

The tariff is currently at 10%, but may increase up to 15% at the President’s discretion upon official publication. This tariff will remain in effect for 150 days (until July 24, 2026). This tariff applies in addition to the applicable General Duty Rate (GDR). Some exemptions to this tariff apply and are described in Annex I and Annex II of the Proclamation.

2 SEPTEMBER UPDATE:

The United States’ Harmonized Tariff Schedule states that “publications, films, posters, phonograph records, photographs, microfilms, microfiche, tapes, compact disks, CD ROMs, artworks, and news wire feeds” are classified as “information materials.” 

THIS MEANS THAT RECORDS (VINYLS), CDs, CASSETTES AND OTHER PHYSICAL MEDIA SHOULD BE EXEMPT FROM TARIFFS

Officially, these items have always been exempt from tariffs under US law 50 USC 1702(b)(3), it is likely that this will continue. These specific items are also not covered under the reciprocal tariffs implemented by the US government as the change does not apply to 'informational materials' like music CDs and media.

On August 28, US Customs and Border Protection also confirmed this exemption in its E-Commerce Frequently Asked Questions, which states that the “duty-free de minimis treatment shall remain available for [sic] goods covered under 50 U.S.C. § 1702(b) – such as certain donations and informational materials.”

This means that these specific items should be exempt from any additional charges. However, we cannot guarantee how US Customs and each postal carrier will implement these exemptions in every case. Please be prepared for potential delays and complications as postal, courier services and customs adapt to these complex changes taking place. 

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31 JUL 2025 UPDATE TO: IMPACT OF THE RECIPROCAL TARIFFS ON SHIPMENTS TO THE U.S.

On 30 July 2025, the United States announced an executive order to suspend the De Minimis exemption for imports from all countries globally as of 29 August 2025. This means that all products originating from outside the United States will be subject to the origin country’s respective reciprocal tariff rate from 29 August onwards.

The exact tariffs and taxes charged depend on the product's country of origin and courier choice (couriers may charge a handling fee for customs clearance services), and may be subject to change with short notice. No part of the fees collected go to The Jelly House. As the situation with tariffs is fluid, please make sure to check with your local authorities to understand the exact tariff rate charged at the point of time of the delivery.

Due to the nature of products we carry, a majority of items have an origin country of South Korea and Japan, and a smaller range of products from countries such as the U.S., Europe, Thailand and Taiwan to name a few. A small range of products also originate from China.

It is currently not very clear if U.S. manufactured products imported to the U.S. will be subject to any tariffs, however, based on current available explanations, from our understanding, these products should be exempt. Kindly double check with your local authorities for the most up-to-date information.

HOW DOES THIS IMPACT CHINA AND HONG KONG ORIGIN PRODUCTS?

As of 2 May 2025, all products originating from China and Hong Kong destined for the U.S. were no longer be eligible for the De Minimis exemption.

This means that duties apply regardless of the order value. Taxes and tariffs collected go directly to the the U.S. government and shipping provider (for fees that are charged for customs clearance services).

HOW DOES THIS AFFECT MY ORDERS FOR PRODUCTS FROM ORIGIN COUNTRIES OTHER THAN CHINA AND HONG KONG?

Orders that arrive in the U.S. from 29 August 2025 onwards will be subject to tariffs imposed on the product’s origin country. 

Any orders you place with The Jelly House are typically dispatched within 2 business days (for in stock items) and it usually takes 3 - 7 business days after dispatch for the shipment to reach the U.S.. To avoid tariffs for items originating from countries other than China and Hong Kong being charged on orders placed in August, we recommend that you place your orders by 18 August 2025. Even with this deadline, we encourage customers to place orders as early as possible to factor in possible last minute delayed lead times to the U.S. given the dynamic situation.

Please note that pre-order items have their own release schedule which will be stated on each individual listing. There are also possibilities of manufacturer delays for pre-order products. As such, it is possible that pre-orders may arrive to our warehouse after the start of the De Minimis suspension, even if you have placed the order before 18 August 2025. Please consider this carefully before you place your order as orders are non-cancellable.

Customs inspections are at the discretion of the country’s border control agency / customs officers. Once again, please note that The Jelly House does not collect, and is not responsible for any customs fees in your country.

WHAT’S NEXT?

The Jelly House is committed to offering an enjoyable collecting experience to all of our valued customers, within the U.S. and globally. We will continue to keep you up to date with any changes that may impact the shipping situation to the U.S..

In the meantime, we’re working on several exciting projects in 2025 to extend our range to you, while keeping options competitive. We hope to be able to share more with you in the next few months!

Update 20 August 2025: We are happy to announce that we have expanded our shipping options to the United States with more affordable and new shipping options according to your needs and preferences. Our shipments to the United States continue uninterrupted during the week go 25 August to 29 August and onwards. However, shipments arriving from 29 August 2025 will be subject to tariffs and releavnt disbursement fees charged by the respecitve shipping providers.

Stay tuned for updates and thank you for continuing to make The Jelly House a part of your collecting journey!

For more details about the De Minimis rules and regulations, please refer to the U.S Customs and Border Protection official website.