President Trump is lifting a tariff exemption for small packages, subjecting billions of dollars in foreign products to import taxes after months of delay.
The White House is canceling the de minimis trade exemption starting at 12:01 a.m. Friday, a move that significantly increases the scale of Trump’s trade reforms.
The new tariffs will apply to all countries, extending them from China and Hong Kong, where they’ve been in effect since May, to all U.S. trading partners.
The tariffs will apply to millions of commercial packages sent to the U.S. each month that are valued at or below $800.
U.S. senior administration officials told reporters Thursday afternoon the move will help combat drug trafficking, piracy and counterfeit goods and will generate significant revenues.
“President Trump’s ending of the deadly de minimis loophole will save thousands of American lives by restricting the flow of narcotics and other dangerous and prohibited items, add up to $10 billion a year in tariff revenues to our Treasury, create thousands of jobs, and defend against billions of dollar more in losses in counterfeiting, piracy, and intellectual property theft,” Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro said.
How will it work?
Starting Friday, all shipments, including those worth less than $800, are subject to duties, taxes and fees. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued guidance related to the order earlier this month.
Shipments coming through commercial carriers, which represent about 95 percent of de minimis parcels, will need to have informal or formal entry designation documents and pay the relevant tariff.
Shipments coming from international mail carriers have the option of choosing an ad valorem tax rate, which is the effective tariff rate imposed under the emergency economic powers law used by Trump to deliver his initial “reciprocal” tariffs. The tax is then based on the value of that package.
International mail shippers can also notify CBP that they are choosing a “specific duty” for their package ranging from $80 per item to $200 per item. That option is only available for six months whereupon shippers will need to use the topline ad valorem tariff rate.
Updated at 5:26 p.m. EDT
