EFFECTIVE Sept. 29, 2025, U.S. territories — including Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands — must prepay customs duties on certain items shipped to the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico, according to a notice issued by the U.S. Postal Service.
The notice was posted Friday at the USPS office in Chalan Kanoa.
Asked for comment, USPS Strategic Communications Specialist John Hyatt said the flyer was intended to explain customs duties and payment procedures under the July 30 executive order.
He added that U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued updated guidance for implementing the order in international mail. The directive is titled:
“CSMS #66311990 – UPDATED GUIDANCE: Payment of Duty on International Mail Shipments pursuant to Executive Order 14324 ‘Suspending Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Countries.’ ”
The public and media can track further updates through the CBP website, including resources for qualified parties at the E-Commerce portal, new Cargo Systems Messaging Service bulletins, and CBP’s Frequently Asked Questions page.
According to the USPS notice, customers in the CNMI and other territories must use the Zonos Prepay mobile app to pay customs duties. The app generates a receipt with a Declaration ID and QR Code, which must be presented at the counter for packages to be accepted for delivery to the mainland, D.C., or Puerto Rico.
Certain exemptions apply. The requirement does not cover documents, items without monetary value, bona fide gifts valued at $200 or less from senders in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa, or gifts valued at $100 or less from senders in the Northern Marianas. Items valued over $800, and returns, are also exempt.
U.S. Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds of the CNMI has requested clarification from the Department of Homeland Security on how President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14324 applies to the Northern Marianas.
Trump’s order suspends duty-free, de minimis treatment for all countries, effectively ending exemptions for low-value imports.
“Reliable, fair mail service is essential for our families, businesses, and government,” King-Hinds said, expressing concern about the order’s impact on territorial shipments.
“Under a new arrangement between USPS, CBP, and a third-party provider, residents may soon be required to file extra information before mailing packages, with tariff charges potentially even applied to goods produced in the CNMI,” she added.
In her letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, King-Hinds outlined six major concerns, including how tariff rates are calculated, the risk of double taxation, whether collected duties will be returned to the CNMI Treasury as required by the Covenant, and whether territorial shipments should have been included in the order at all.
