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The US ecommerce market for cross-border sellers

US online retail in official figures: Census ecommerce sales and share, population, goods imports and CBP's low-value shipment counts, for sellers abroad.

Updated · 5 official sources

US retail ecommerce sales were $340.2 billion in the second quarter of 2026, seasonally adjusted, 17.1% of all retail sales and 12.2% more than a year earlier, according to the Census Bureau's quarterly estimate of 18 August 2026. For a seller abroad, every one of those sales shipped into the US now pays duty from the first dollar.

Rules as of 30 October 2026.

How big is US ecommerce?#

US ecommerce is about a sixth of all US retail. The Census Bureau's quarterly survey put online retail sales at $340.2 billion in the second quarter of 2026, seasonally adjusted, out of $1,986.5 billion of total retail, and online sales grew 12.2% from a year earlier against 6.7% for all retail.

Measure, second quarter of 2026 Seasonally adjusted Not adjusted
Retail ecommerce sales $340.2 billion $329.5 billion
Share of total retail sales 17.1% 16.4%
Change from the first quarter of 2026 +3.8% +9.4%
Change from the second quarter of 2025 +12.2% +12.4%
Total retail sales $1,986.5 billion

The estimates are not adjusted for price changes, so part of the growth is inflation.

Who are the buyers?#

The buyers are a population of 341.8 million on 1 July 2025, by the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimates, which grew by 1.8 million (0.5%) over the year. California, Texas and Florida, the three most populous states, hold about 28% of them.

Most populous states, 1 July 2025 Population
California 39,355,309
Texas 31,709,821
Florida 23,462,518

How much comes in from abroad?#

The US imported $342.2 billion of goods in August 2026 alone, seasonally adjusted, according to the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Low-value parcels made up much of the traffic by count: CBP counted 1.36 billion de minimis shipments worth $64.6 billion in fiscal year 2024, before the exemption was suspended.

CBP low-value shipments FY2024 FY2025
De minimis shipments 1.36 billion 942.5 million
Their value $64.6 billion $48.1 billion
By express 189 million 130 million
By post 74.8 million 68.6 million

Most of fiscal year 2025 came before the suspension took effect on 29 August 2025. CBP still describes handling nearly 4 million low-value shipments entering the US each day. Year to date through August 2026, US imports of goods and services were 4.4% higher than in the same months of 2025.

What do the numbers mean for a seller abroad?#

A seller abroad reaches a large, growing online market, but since 29 August 2025 every parcel into it needs a customs entry and pays the duty for its product and origin. The cost per order now depends on the HTS code and the country of manufacture, plus chapter 99 duties for many origins, not on whether the order is small.

Three things decide whether a US order makes money. The duty: the US duty calculator gives the total for a product, origin and value, and how to calculate US duties and taxes walks through it. Who pays it and how it is collected: by post the filer pays CBP monthly, by courier the duty goes through the courier's entry and is sometimes collected on delivery, as the shipping guide compares. And the agency rules: CPSC eFiling for children's products, clothing and other consumer goods, and FDA for food and cosmetics. Sales tax is a state matter collected on the sale, not at the border; see VAT, GST and sales tax.

Common questions#

How big is the US ecommerce market?#

$340.2 billion of retail ecommerce sales in the second quarter of 2026, seasonally adjusted: 17.1% of US retail, up 12.2% on a year earlier (Census Bureau, 18 August 2026).

How many low-value parcels enter the US?#

CBP counted 1.36 billion de minimis shipments in fiscal year 2024 and 942.5 million in fiscal year 2025, the year the exemption was suspended. It describes handling nearly 4 million low-value shipments a day.

Do small online orders to the US still enter duty free?#

No. Duty-free de minimis treatment has been suspended for every country since 29 August 2025, so each order pays the duty for its product and origin.

Sources#