If you’re an importer in Houston or anywhere in the U.S., you may already feel like the ground has shifted under your feet. New tariff announcements are coming faster.
Regulations that were once routine are now suddenly behind the scenes or off-limits. And when your shipments get delayed, misclassified, or sit at the port waiting for clearance, that means costs, frustration, and attention diverted from your core business.
At Hawthorne Global Logistics, our story starts with this: we know that you didn’t sign up to become a customs expert. You signed up to move your product, serve your customers, and grow your business. The customs, tariff, and regulatory side? That’s our job. So you can focus on what you do best—while we clear the way.
What’s Changing: Tariffs, “Low-Value” Shipments, and Customs Enforcement
Tariffs That Keep Rising
In 2025, the U.S. has introduced sweeping tariff and trade-policy changes that affect nearly everything you import. A universal tariff baseline, sector-specific surcharges, and new country-based “reciprocal” tariffs all add up to higher risk, higher duty exposure, and more paperwork. One recent analysis found that the average effective U.S. tariff rate climbed significantly compared to prior years. If you thought the days of “just ship it in and customs will wave it through” were safe—think again.
The End (or Major Reduction) of the “De Minimis” Exemption
Until recently, many low-value shipments under $800 could enter the U.S. under a simplified regime with minimal duties and documentation. That era is changing. Effective August 29, 2025, the U.S. suspended the duty-free treatment for many low-value shipments—meaning the small-parcel import game just got a lot more complicated.
What does this mean for you? Small imports that used to fly under the radar now need proper classification, duty payment, and more rigorous customs entry.
Increased Scrutiny and Bigger Consequences
Customs authorities are tightening the rules: origin, classification, material content—everything is under the microscope. Agencies are paying closer attention to how goods enter the U.S., and in short, mistakes matter more now. Delays or missteps can cost you real dollars, lost time, and reputational damage.
Why These Changes Matter to You (Especially in Houston)
Being based in the Houston region gives you access to one of the nation’s busiest import hubs—but with the benefits come the pressure points. Here’s what’s on the line:
- Unexpected Duty Costs: If a tariff changes or the low-value exemption disappears, your landed cost may jump. That eats margin or forces you to raise prices.
- Shipment Delays: Bigger documentation burdens mean more holds at the port, more inspections, and more “why is our shipment stuck?” calls.
- Classification and Origin Risks: If you misclassify a product or misstate its origin, you may face penalties, back-duties, or even seizures.
- Supply Chain Volatility: Because regulations are shifting, your supplier strategy, routing plan, and customs clearance process may all need to adapt quickly.
Here’s the good news: you don’t have to navigate that alone.
How Hawthorne Global Logistics Keeps You One Step Ahead
At Hawthorne Global Logistics, we build our service around your need for clarity, reliability, and speed—even when the regulatory environment is changing fast.
Strategic Tariff and Compliance Consultation
Our team monitors the latest tariff announcements, low-value shipment rules, country-of-origin shifts, and classification changes—so you don’t have to. We translate those changes into actionable advice: what might change your landed cost, what documentation you’ll need, and what you can do now to avoid surprises.
End-to-End Customs Brokerage Expertise
From pre-shipment classification to final customs clearance in Houston and beyond, we handle the backend: ensuring proper HTS codes, verifying country of origin, confirming duty payment, managing bonds and entries—all while keeping you informed.
Clear Communication and Risk Mitigation
We believe in building trust by keeping you in the loop. We’ll flag risks early: is there a new surcharge on your component imports? Is your parcel under the new de minimis regime requiring full entry? We’ll tell you what it means, what you can do, and how we will execute.
Efficiency and Transportation Coordination
Customs is just one piece of your movement. At Hawthorne Global Logistics, we integrate the clearance process with freight forwarding, drayage, and warehousing. That holistic view helps avoid bottlenecks where customs and transportation meet.
Proactive Planning for Volatility
When regulation changes strike unexpectedly, you’ll have contingency options: alternate origin sourcing, rerouting, advanced customs entries, and pre-clearance strategies. We help you think ahead rather than scramble when a tariff hits.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Imagine you’re importing components from overseas valued at $700 per shipment. Under the old regime, you may have shipped with minimal documentation, assuming a low-value threshold applied.
Now that same shipment may require full duty calculation, formal entry, classification review, and higher cost. Or perhaps you source from a country newly designated for higher “reciprocal tariff” rates. If you don’t have the right customs broker advising you ahead of time, the landed cost spikes—and you discover it only when the invoice comes or the shipment hits the port and stalls.
By working with Hawthorne Global Logistics, we help you get ahead of that. We’ll review your imports, identify where your costs may increase, recommend changes, and handle the clearance so your shipment doesn’t get delayed in Houston because of missing information.
Don’t Leave Your Shipments to Chance
The customs and tariff environment isn’t going to get simpler any time soon. As import volumes rise, regulations tighten, and trade policies shift, the risk of “we thought we had this covered” becomes very real.
You deserve a partner who doesn’t just react—but plans ahead. At Hawthorne Global Logistics, we bring the experience, people, systems, and Houston-area presence to keep your supply chain moving even when the rules change midstream.
If you’re ready to clarify your import strategy, reduce surprise costs, and move your goods without regulatory hang-ups, let’s make moves.
Contact us today at 866-348-7069 or visit www.hawthorneglobal.com.
