https://anh-usa.org/new-us-customs-rules-threaten-your-access-to-natural-health/
New US Customs Rules Threaten Your Access to Natural Health
By The ANH Team
10/15/2026
Stronger border checks for personal imports can protect Americans from unsafe foreign products, but the same rules could also shrink consumer access and choice. Action Alert!
THE TOPLINE
- New customs requirements could mean higher prices, delayed deliveries, and fewer natural health choices for consumers buying products from overseas.
- Stronger scrutiny can protect consumers from unsafe products, but added costs and paperwork could also drive responsible small suppliers out of the U.S. market.
- We support practical, risk-based import procedures that target illegal products while preserving access to compliant products from reputable companies.
Consumers who buy natural health products from overseas could soon face higher prices, delayed deliveries, and fewer choices. A new Customs and Border Protection (CBP) rule that comes into force on October 22, 2026 adds hurdles that may discourage smaller companies from supplying American customers. Our concern is that responsible businesses could be caught alongside sellers of unsafe or illegal products. Additionally, patients who import life-saving medications for personal use that are not currently manufactured in the US may find there are delays or even barriers at US borders which could endanger lives.
What’s Changing
Low-value packages (under $800) imported for personal use previously benefited from a customs exemption that simplified their entry into the United States. The new CBP rule removes that exemption for international mail and adds stricter requirements for mailed products overseen by agencies such as FDA.
CBP offers an electronic option for some shipments, but it still requires detailed information, someone legally responsible for the import, and a financial guarantee called a customs bond. Suppliers may need specialist help, adding costs that consumers could ultimately pay.
The rule does not itself ban all imported medicines or abolish FDA’s personal importation policy. But administrative barriers can make an established supply route unusable. (See link for article)
