Tony, I think the $250 limit used to be anything coming by air, express or not. I got these EPs by USPS Global Priority Mail, which is said to take 4-6 days. They were posted Monday and got here Saturday.
Geoff, since I've learnt about the new limits I have been tossing up whether to post a thread about it. I thought I'd better wait and see what happens with my purchase first. Info on government websites is usually vague, and even if not, it might be incorrect. But, unless there is a bill coming separately

, the EPs were tax free.