President Donald Trump issued an executive order Wednesday declaring the end to de minimis exemptions for imported goods valued at under $800. The exemptions will cease at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time Aug. 29.
The president previously suspended de minimis exemptions for imported goods from China, Hong Kong, Canada and Mexico. The new executive order will eliminate the exemption for all countries.
Goods valued at under $800 will receive duties based on the originating country’s tariff with the U.S. Products will be subject to either an ad valorem duty, equal to the originating country’s effective tariff rate, or a specific duty.
The specific duty is determined by the originating country’s tariff rate with the U.S. For those with a tariff rate under 16%, the charge is $80 per item. For those with tariffs between 16% and 25% (inclusive), the charge is $160 per item. For those with rates above 25%, the charge is $200 per item. The specific duty would expire after six months, reverting to the ad valorem duty for all goods.
American travelers still have an exemption to bring up to $200 in personal items from outside U.S. borders, while individuals can receive bona fide gifts valued at $100 or less without a duty.
The White House said packages entering under the de minimis exemption typically are subject to less scrutiny than traditional imports, but still can pose risks. Between 2015 and 2024, the de minimis shipment volume entering the U.S. increased from 134 million to over 1.36 billion. On average, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency processes over 4 million de minimis shipments daily.
“The de minimis exemption has been abused, with shippers sending illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, precursors and paraphernalia into the United States,” the White House said. “Enforcement data consistently shows that de minimis shipments account for the majority of all cargo enforcement actions.”
The volume of de minimis shipments into the U.S. through June 30 totaled 309 million, up from 115 million for the entire fiscal year 2024.
“President Trump is acting more quickly to suspend the de minimis exemption than the (Republican reconciliation bill) requires,” the White House said, “to deal with national emergencies and save American lives and businesses now.”
