No, these are paid by consumers at import time. It's not just a pass-through cost; consumers pay CBP. (I've imported many purchases, both below and above de mi

No, these are paid by consumers at import time. It's not just a pass-through cost; consumers pay CBP. (I've imported many purchases, both below and above de minimis thresholds. Even the negotiation of which HTS schedule applies to specific items is between CBP and the individual -- the selling company isn't involved at all.)