Asia-Pacific closes the duty-free door at different speeds. The parcel pays at checkout, at the pump and at the US border.
China opens Double 11 early, Japan moves the tax on small imports to the checkout from 2028, Korea makes foreign platforms answer locally, Southeast Asia writes one digital rulebook, India opens 164,000 post offices to a private courier for rural parcels, and Australia keeps its A$1,000 threshold.
The last 30 days, newest first
- 25 Oct 2026WireEuropean Union: 1 Nov Product identifiers become mandatory on low-value EU e-commerce imports and the €2 handling fee per item applies, on top of the €3 duty: origin posts and carriers…
- 23 Oct 2026WireJapan: 53.23 million shipments whose data (names, addresses, phone numbers) may have leaked through Sagawa Express's online tracking service, a second Japanese carrier incident after Yamato.
- 23 Oct 2026BriefingBriefing updated: The small-parcel door closes: who pays, who declares, and where volume goes
- 23 Oct 2026BriefingBriefing updated: ASEAN bets on one digital rulebook as every border starts taxing the parcel
- 23 Oct 2026BriefingBriefing updated: Western doors close to China's parcels, so the platforms move the warehouse
- 23 Oct 2026BriefingBriefing updated: Europe now charges every parcel. Who absorbs the bill?
- 23 Oct 2026BriefingBriefing updated: Europe's 1 November parcel rules: who checks the data and who collects the fee, from posts to carriers and brokers
- 23 Oct 2026BriefingBriefing updated: Hormuz in its eighth month: the parcel pays the fuel bill and the detour
- 23 Oct 2026BriefingBriefing updated: America charges every parcel and puts North America's trade pact on a yearly leash
- 23 Oct 2026BriefingBriefing updated: Tangier, Suez and the parcel: North Africa's gateway opens as its borders tighten
Five markets, one page each
Shenzhen hosts APEC as the West closes the small-parcel door.
China's third-quarter GDP grew 4.5% and September exports rose 29.6%, while online sales of goods grew only 3.8% in nine months, so carriers lean on exports. Beijing proposed 40 new technology export controls on 16 October before Xi meets Trump at APEC in Shenzhen.
The China page →A second Japanese carrier breach puts parcel tracking data at risk.
Sagawa Express says data on up to 53.23 million shipments may have leaked through its tracking service, after Yamato's incident. Japan will tax low-value imports at checkout from 2028, Korea's record surplus with the US revives tariff risk, and delivery capacity stays short.
The North Asia page →ASEAN is writing one rulebook for digital trade.
The ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement, covering cross-border e-commerce and payments, is due to be signed in Manila on 16 to 18 November, as e-commerce sales in the region head for US$226 billion this year, up 18%.
The Southeast Asia page →India and the US say a trade deal is very close.
Rubio called a deal 'about as close as you can be' on his 20 to 22 October visit and Trump said it is 'pretty close', after Washington waived the Russian-oil tariff threat on 16 October. A deal could lower the 10% US tariff on Indian parcels; New Delhi has already removed the courier export cap and opened post offices to exporters.
The South Asia page →Oceania keeps its A$1,000 door open.
Australia and New Zealand still let small parcels in duty-free and collect GST at checkout. The first of three A321 freighters for Australia Post arrived on 22 October, fuel keeps surcharges high and polls split before New Zealand votes on 7 November.
The Oceania page →Rules and deadlines
22 rules tracked, ordered by the next date. Each has its own page with dates, sources and what to prepare.
- 25 Oct 2026Brazil makes zero tax on imports up to US$50 law before the vote
Presidential run-off between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro
Brazil · In force - 31 Oct 2026China makes platforms report seller identities and income every quarter
Quarterly identity and income report for Q3 2026 due (rule: within the month after quarter end)
China (State Council; State Taxation Administration) · In force - 16 Nov 2026ASEAN digital economy pact set for signature in Manila
49th ASEAN Summit in Manila (16 to 18 November), targeted DEFA signature
ASEAN member states · Proposed - 31 Dec 2026US-China truce extended to 10 January 2027, parcels left out
Reported target for both sides to publish tariff reduction lists and apply the cuts together once domestic procedures are complete (end of 2026; no exact date)
United States and China · Adopted - 1 Jan 2027Japan ends the ¥10,000 consumption-tax exemption on imports in April 2028
Start of the January to March 2027 period used to designate large platforms as deemed suppliers
Japan (National Diet; Ministry of Finance) · Adopted - 21 Jan 2027South Korea makes large foreign marketplaces name a local representative
Foreign operators above the thresholds must have a designated Korea-based representative
South Korea (National Assembly; Korea Fair Trade Commission) · Adopted - 1 Feb 2027US rebuilds tariffs on Section 301 after IEEPA and Section 122
Two-year limit for IEEPA refund suits under 28 U.S.C. 1581(i) could expire as early as this month (month only)
United States · In force - 30 Jun 2027Vietnam requires foreign marketplaces to post VND 20 billion deposits
Deadline for platforms registered before 1 July 2026 to bring their dossiers into line
Vietnam (National Assembly; Government) · In force - 1 Jul 2027Mexico taxes Asian parcels at 33.5% and tariffs non-treaty goods
Next USMCA joint review, which frames the preferential courier treatment for US and Canadian goods (month only)
Mexico · In force - 1 Jul 2027Vietnam's revised Postal Law under debate in the National Assembly session to 21 November
Expected entry into force, according to Baker McKenzie (not confirmed in official summaries)
Vietnam (National Assembly) · Proposed - 8 Dec 2027Indonesia keeps a US$100 floor on cross-border goods sold online
End of the 18-month compliance window for sellers registered before 8 June 2026 (our calculation from the regulation's start date)
Indonesia (Ministry of Trade) · In force - 31 Dec 2027China extends tax-free returns for e-commerce exports to end-2027
Last export date covered by the returns tax relief (Announcement 2026 No. 16)
China (Ministry of Finance, General Administration of Customs, State Taxation Administration) · In force
Every customs, tax and postal deadline in your markets, sourced from the official text, in the calendar you already use. When a date moves, your calendar moves with it.
Free, no sign-up, nothing tracked. One link can be shared with your compliance, operations and commercial teams so everyone works from the same dates. Information, not legal advice.
Check a route into or out of APAC
Every rule on one route, with the dates coming and what to prepare.
Check a route →The analysis for each market
ASEAN bets on one digital rulebook as every border starts taxing the parcel
Southeast Asia is about to sign a regional digital economy pact while Washington hunts transshipment and its own governments close the low-value parcel gap. For carriers and platforms, origin data and in-market stock now decide who keeps the volume.
ASEAN rulebookUS-China truceGeopolitics · ChinaWestern doors close to China's parcels, so the platforms move the warehouse
Washington extended its truce with Beijing but kept the de minimis door shut, while Brussels now charges every small parcel. China's platforms and carriers answer by shipping in bulk and delivering locally, and small sellers pay the transition.
Platforms go localUS-China truceGeopolitics · North AsiaNorth Asia moves the parcel tax to the checkout as its delivery capacity runs short
Japan will tax low-value imports at the point of sale from 2028, Korea is making foreign platforms answer locally, Taiwan is keeping its door open, and Washington has reset tariffs on all three economies. For carriers, the value now lies in platform data at the border and in scarce hours at the door.
End of de minimisUS-China truceGeopolitics · OceaniaOceania keeps its A$1,000 door open while fuel and Washington raise the parcel bill
Australia and New Zealand still let small parcels in duty-free and collect GST at checkout, as the rest of the rich world closes the gap. Their parcel costs are moving elsewhere: on diesel and jet fuel, on a 12.5% American tariff, and in posts that are becoming parcel companies.
End of de minimisPlatforms go localGeopolitics · South AsiaIndia opens the door to parcel exports while Washington rewrites the toll
New Delhi has removed the courier export cap, opened post offices to exporters and let foreign platforms hold export stock. Washington has ended duty-free parcels, set a 10% tariff and taken power to impose up to 100% over Russian oil, a power it waived for now on 16 October. For carriers and platforms, filing capacity and stock positioning now decide who carries India's small exports.
End of de minimisPlatforms go localFollow the thread
Chinese platforms move the warehouse
Last moved 21 October 2026As Western governments tax every small parcel, China's platforms keep selling by changing format: they ship in containers, clear once and deliver from warehouses inside the market. Beijing finances the shift as export policy, so the volume stays but moves from air mail to domestic last mile.
- GeopoliticsThe EU-China trade consultations in Beijing ended with understandings on hybrid vehicles, rare-earth licences and tariff cuts worth at least €225 million in duty savings, but nothing on e-commerce; a video conference follows in January and a third round in March 2027.
- Decision & lawThe EU customs reform gives lower handling fees to non-EU sellers that consolidate shipments through EU warehouses.
- MarketSoutheast Asia's e-commerce sales are set to reach US$226 billion in 2026, up 18%, according to the e-Conomy SEA report by Google, Temasek and Bain.
- Parcel impactA per-parcel duty punishes low order values, while the same goods shipped in bulk pay duty on declared value spread over thousands of units.
ASEAN's digital rulebook and China+1
Last moved 21 October 2026Southeast Asia sits between Washington's hunt for Chinese goods routed through its factories and Beijing's push for deeper regional integration. ASEAN answers by hedging: one digital rulebook for the region, tighter national taxes on cheap parcels, and origin checks for American-bound flows.
- GeopoliticsOn a visit to India from 20 to 22 October, US Secretary of State Rubio said a trade deal was very close and that India had made substantial progress diversifying its oil supplies.
- Decision & lawVietnam's National Assembly began debating the revised Postal Law on the first day of its session (17 October to 21 November): one electronic registration in place of 14 procedures and a unique code for every postal item.
- MarketThe e-Conomy SEA report puts the region's e-commerce sales at US$226 billion in 2026, up 18%, within a digital economy of about US$368 billion.
- Parcel impactEvery barrier on a cross-border parcel pushes stock into in-market fulfilment, favouring platform-owned logistics.
US and China, tariffs and truces
Last moved 20 October 2026Washington uses access to its market as leverage over Beijing, and Beijing answers with its control of rare earths; neither wants a rupture, so they trade short truces. When the Supreme Court removed the emergency tariff tool, Washington rebuilt its tariffs on other statutes, but the duty-free parcel did not come back.
- GeopoliticsUS and Chinese negotiators were reported to have made considerable progress on investment, while a framework package and a broader extension of the trade truce remain contested before APEC in Shenzhen.
- Decision & lawAn executive order waived the 100% tariff the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act allows on goods from the largest buyers of Russian crude and gas, days before it could apply to purchases from 18 October; the waiver can be withdrawn.
- MarketChina's GDP grew 4.5% in the third quarter, and September goods exports rose 29.6% to 3,034.4 billion yuan.
- Parcel impactTranspacific e-commerce volume has recovered while China to Europe falls, as capacity is redeployed to the Pacific.
Who is building, buying or pulling out
- 20 Oct 2026Partnership CJ Logistics NEA
CJ Logistics is turning shops that use Toss's payment terminals, a network of about 500,000 merchants across Korea, into parcel drop-off points under a memorandum signed in early October, starting with small business senders and later opening to consumers. Newspim
- 20 Oct 2026Pricing SF, YTO, STO, Yunda CN
September data: SF handled 7.3% fewer parcels but earned 7.7% more per parcel; STO (+2.4%) and Yunda (+5.9%) also raised revenue per parcel, while YTO cut it 5.8% and grew volume 12.3%. National express volume rose only 2.1% to 17.23 billion parcels, revenue 5.6%. Phoenix New Media (ifeng Finance)
- 19 Oct 2026Capacity Qantas Freight / Australia Post OCE
Qantas Freight and Australia Post extended their partnership by 10 years (more than 75 million parcels and freight items a year) and added three A321 freighters, each carrying up to 20,000 parcels and together up to 20% more Qantas freighter capacity; the first arrived before Black Friday, the others are due by March 2027. Post & Parcel
- 16 Oct 2026Capacity Australia Post OCE
Australia Post broke ground on a 10,000 m2 automated parcel facility in Morwell, Gippsland (Victoria), able to sort up to 5,000 parcels an hour, due to open in late 2027. Post & Parcel
- 15 Oct 2026Capacity UPS SEA
UPS opened its USD 80m Clark International Air Hub in the Philippines: 30,000 m2, up to 15,000 packages an hour, about 46,000 packages and cargo shipments expected daily and 170 weekly flights serving Asia-Pacific, India, Europe and the US. Daily Tribune (Philippines)
- 15 Oct 2026Capacity J&T Express SEA, CN
J&T Express handled 9.58 billion parcels in the third quarter (+24.8%): 2.89 billion in Southeast Asia (+44.5%), 6.43 billion in China (+15.3%) and 270.8 million in its newer markets (+159.5%). Kosmo! (J&T Global Express release)
- 12 Oct 2026Network Australia Post OCE
Australia Post opened its sixth next-generation Parcels Post Office, at Clyde North in Melbourne's south-east, with 24/7 parcel lockers, self-service postage and label printing; it cites A$21.9 billion of Australian online spending in Q4 FY26. Post & Parcel
- 11 Oct 2026Product Hanjin NEA
Hanjin was selected to run three government-backed logistics support programmes for small businesses in Korea, adding a parcel pickup segment; 87 of 579 applicants were selected in the first three rounds (23 fulfilment, 64 pickup) and can get up to 90% of logistics costs supported. Newspim
- 10 Oct 2026Partnership India Post / Blue Dart Express SAS
The Department of Posts and Blue Dart signed an agreement giving Blue Dart access to India Post's 1.64 lakh (164,000) post offices for prepaid and cash-on-delivery parcels, with OTP-based delivery and real-time tracking in rural and remote areas. APAC News Network
- 9 Oct 2026Product Pos Malaysia SEA
Pos Malaysia unveiled Malaysia's first electric three-wheeler for last-mile delivery, to be rolled out subject to regulatory approval; it says one in three of its parcels is already delivered by electric vehicle. Newswav
Who competes, and on what
ASEAN parcels: J&T and the platforms take the volume, everyone else takes the hit
Southeast Asian e-commerce kept growing at 20% plus in 2025 and parcel volumes rose even faster in 2026, but the gains are concentrating in J&T Express and…
ChinaChina parcels: the price war ends under regulatory pressure, the volume slows, the growth moves abroad
China delivered 199 billion express parcels in 2025, by far the world's largest parcel market.
North AsiaNorth Asia parcels: Japan prices scarce capacity, Korea races to seven days, Taiwan goes to the store
Japan delivered 5.03 billion parcels in fiscal 2024 and Korea 6.42 billion in 2025, yet the two markets compete in opposite ways.
OceaniaOceania parcels: Australia Post keeps the network, fuel and speed set the terms
Australians spent A$82.6bn online in 2025 and New Zealanders NZ$12.7bn, and the posts still carry most of it.
South AsiaSouth Asia parcels: India consolidates around Delhivery while captive networks open up and fuel doubles the surcharge
India's express parcel market is growing fast but margins are thin. Delhivery has absorbed Ecom Express, Shadowfax is the fastest-growing challenger, and…
What’s coming
- 31 Oct 2026Regulation · China
Platforms must file their quarterly identity and income report on sellers for the third quarter.
- 1 Nov 2026Regulation · China
EU rules for parcels sent from here into the EU: product identifiers mandatory on low-value e-commerce declarations and a €2 handling fee per item.
- 1 Nov 2026Regulation · North Asia
EU rules for parcels sent from here into the EU: product identifiers mandatory on low-value e-commerce declarations and a €2 handling fee per item.
- 1 Nov 2026Regulation · Southeast Asia
EU rules for parcels sent from here into the EU: product identifiers mandatory on low-value e-commerce declarations and a €2 handling fee per item.
- 1 Nov 2026Regulation · South Asia
EU rules for parcels sent from here into the EU: product identifiers mandatory on low-value e-commerce declarations and a €2 handling fee per item.
- 1 Nov 2026Regulation · Oceania
EU rules for parcels sent from here into the EU: product identifiers mandatory on low-value e-commerce declarations and a €2 handling fee per item.
- 1 Nov 2026Market · Oceania
Australia Post contract fuel surcharge rises to 13.5% from 11.5% in October.
- 3–6 Nov 2026Expo · China
CeMAT ASIA 2026, Shanghai.
- 5–10 Nov 2026Geopolitics · China
China International Import Expo, Shanghai.
- 7 Nov 2026Geopolitics · Oceania
New Zealand general election.