This episode of the Decoding Cross-Border Ecommerce podcast dives deep into the chaos of 2025 and what lies ahead in 2026, including the potential end of IEEPA tariffs, the removal of de minimis, and a major Supreme Court decision that could reshape international trade policy.

Aaron Bezzant, Zonos’ Head of Global Trade Strategy, is joined by longtime Zonos expert Ryan Swapp, Head of Global Trade Data, and Jeff Freeman, our resident “Wikipedia” of global trade. With Clint Reid out sick, the team breaks down what businesses need to know about upcoming changes and the ripple effects of executive trade authority under scrutiny.

🎧 Tune in for actionable insight into tariffs, refunds, Supreme Court bets, and what global ecommerce companies should expect in 2026.


Chapters:

[00:00:00] Opening clip
[00:00:30] Aaron introduces holiday episode & guests Ryan Swap and Jeff Freeman
[00:02:00] Reflecting on 2025: chaos, tariffs, and the rise of IEEPA tariffs
[00:03:30] What is IEEPA? A historical and legal breakdown
[00:05:00] Executive overreach? The Supreme Court's pending decision on IEEPA tariffs
[00:06:30] The ripple effect: de minimis, tariffs, and tech adaptation
[00:09:00] Ryan on adapting tech and retroactive chaos
[00:13:00] Betting on the Supreme Court timeline
[00:15:00] Will IEEPA tariffs be upheld or struck down? A legal debate
[00:21:00] What happens if IEEPA tariffs are struck down? Refunds and fallback tools
[00:26:00] Postal refunds: nearly impossible?
[00:30:00] De minimis and the severability clause
[00:33:00] Global trend: EU, UK, and others following the U.S.
[00:35:00] What to expect from new clearance processes in 2026
[00:36:30] Final thoughts: 2026 won’t be quiet

This episode of the Decoding Cross-Border Ecommerce podcast is hosted solo by Aaron Bezzant, Zonos’ Head of Global Trade Strategy. He’s joined by Ned Steiner of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, a leading customs and trade law firm.

Aaron and Ned dive into the rapidly shifting world of international trade — from new U.S. tariffs and executive orders to the real-world impacts on importers and e-commerce sellers.

If you’ve been trying to keep up with de minimis reform, trade enforcement, or customs compliance in the U.S., this episode is your inside look at what’s really happening in D.C. — and how to protect your business.

Episode 66 of the Decoding Cross-Border Ecommerce podcast explores how postal operators around the world can implement Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) solutions, with direct insight from David Avsec of the Universal Postal Union (UPU).

Hosts Clint Reid, Founder and CEO of Zonos, and Aaron Bezzant, Zonos’ Head of Global Trade Strategy, discuss the technical and policy challenges around DDP in the postal network—especially with changes to global regulations and de minimis thresholds in the U.S. and EU.

They uncover the role of the UPU, the growing urgency for posts to offer DDP in order to stay competitive in ecommerce, and how the right technology and cooperation can make global DDP a scalable reality for posts of any size.

Whether you're a postal operator, ecommerce platform, or global merchant, this episode sheds light on the infrastructure being built to support DDP worldwide—and why it matters more than ever.


[00:00:00] Introductions and welcoming David from the UPU
[00:01:50] Why UPU partnered with Zonos and the HS classification challenge
[00:02:57] David’s 30-year history with UPU and postal technology
[00:10:00] Why David came to St. George — urgency around U.S. regulatory changes
[00:13:23] DDP vs DDU: The case for postal reform and better customer experience
[00:17:02] Why DDP is now critical for posts and ecommerce competitiveness
[00:20:24] Why posts should look at DDP as an exciting opportunity and not a burden
[00:28:26] Timeline and adoption challenges across global posts
[00:32:05] Europe’s upcoming de minimis changes and global regulatory trends
[00:34:37] Closing thoughts

This episode of the Decoding Cross-Border Ecommerce podcast is one you won’t forget. Clint Reid, Founder and CEO of Zonos, sits down with Igor Smelyansky, CEO of Ukrposhta (Ukraine Post), to talk about leading a national postal service during an active war—and still growing exports, launching banks and pharmacies, and maintaining ecommerce lifelines across borders.

Igor shares how his U.S. legal and business background helped Ukraine Post become the first to deliver under new U.S. de minimis rules, how they've helped over 45,000 SMEs keep shipping internationally, and how modern war forced them to digitize and automate at a rapid pace.

This episode is packed with resilience, logistics innovation, international trade strategy, and hard-earned leadership lessons from the frontlines.

This episode of the Decoding Cross-Border Ecommerce podcast is a must-listen for Australian ecommerce businesses.

As of August 29, de minimis is gone for postal shipments into the US — and Australia Post has partnered with Zonos to keep shipments moving. But what does that mean for Australian sellers?

Clint Reid, CEO and Founder of Zonos, and Aaron Bezzant, Zonos’ Head of Global Trade Strategy, break it down:

- Why you got that email from Australia Post

- What the Zonos partnership means

- How to calculate and collect duties

- And how to keep shipping without friction

With tools available at no cost — and insights tailored for Aussie ecommerce — this episode is all about practical answers and immediate next steps.

This episode of the Decoding Cross-Border Ecommerce podcast dives into how global postal operators — from Canada Post to Royal Mail to Ukraine — raced to adapt to the sudden de minimis policy change from the U.S. that took effect on August 29.

Hosts Clint Reid, Founder and CEO of Zonos, and Aaron Bezzant, Zonos’ Head of Global Trade Strategy, share behind-the-scenes stories of working with postal partners around the world to stand up solutions in just 30 days — and how Zonos’ technology became the backbone of compliance for many.

🔹 How Ukraine became one of the first to ship under the new rules
🔹 What Canada Post accomplished on an impossible timeline
🔹 How Zonos’ neutral, tech-driven approach enabled rapid scaling
🔹 And what this means for small businesses in these countries

Whether you’re in ecommerce or international logistics, this is a powerful case study in speed, collaboration, and execution under pressure.

This episode of the Decoding Cross-Border Ecommerce podcast breaks down what Canadian ecommerce businesses need to know now that de minimis is gone for postal shipments into the U.S.

Clint Reid, Founder and CEO of Zonos, and Aaron Bezzant, Zonos’ Head of Global Trade Strategy, explain the August 29th change, what triggered it, how Canada Post and Zonos responded in just 30 days, and what Canadian businesses must do right now to stay compliant — and keep shipping.

If you ship to the U.S. from Canada, this episode is essential listening. From practical tools to collect duties, to how Canada Post customers are affected, to real examples of tariff cost differences — this one is packed with value.

🔹 Why are Canadian merchants now being asked to collect and remit duties?
🔹 What is Zonos' role in all this?
🔹 What’s the business impact and how do you adapt?
🔹 How does this affect retail customers at the post office counter?


All answered here.

This episode of the Decoding Cross-Border Ecommerce podcast is a detailed breakdown of the executive order that eliminates de minimis for all imports—postal and commercial—effective August 29th.

Clint Reid, Founder and CEO of Zonos, and Aaron Bezzant, Zonos’ Head of Global Trade Strategy, have been in the room with policymakers in DC and are here to give context, clarity, and what it means for your business.

What changed? Who’s paying? What happens next? They unpack the policy, the enforcement challenges, and how global merchants and posts must adapt—fast. Whether you're a brand, carrier, or consolidator, you can’t afford to miss this one.