De Minimis Loophole Closed

Update-Wednesday, July 30, 2025: On Wednesday, July 30th, President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending the de minimis exemption, applying tariffs to low-value imports from all trading partners. The measure will be effective on Aug. 29 and apply to all goods that are valued at or under $800 that previously qualified for that tax-free treatment, according to a White House fact sheet.

The order will applies to commercial shipments and will impose duties to online retailers that ship directly to US consumers such as Shein and Temu.

American travelers can still bring back up to $200 in personal items and individuals can continue to receive bona fide gifts valued at $100 or less duty-free.

Update-May 12, 2025: Effective Wednesday, May 14, low-value packages from China are subject to a 54% tariff, down from the 120% rate in place since May 2.

• Alternatively, carriers can pay $100 per package, a flat fee that was supposed to, but will no longer, increase to $200 next month.
• Read the full Executive Order…

As we reported last month, on April 2, 2025, President Donald Trump announced a decisive action to close de minimis exemptions for Chinese imports, a move aimed at curbing the flow of illicit synthetic opioids into the United States. After allowing Customs and Border Protection time to develop adequate systems to collect these tariff revenues, duty-free de minimis treatment for covered goods from China and Hong Kong has officially ended as of this morning, May 2, 2025, at 12:01 am.

This is a significant win for the RV industry which has been advocating for a fix to the de minimis loophole, which has had a particularly negative effect on the RV aftermarket sector. 

This policy change, outlined in a White House fact sheet, is a direct response to the ongoing fentanyl crisis and China's role in facilitating the shipment of these dangerous substances through e-commerce loopholes.

• Imported goods sent through means other than the international postal network that are valued at or under $800 and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption will be subject to all applicable duties, which shall be paid in accordance with applicable entry and payment procedures.
• All relevant postal items containing goods that are sent through the international postal network that are valued at or under $800 and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption are subject to a duty rate of either 30% of their value or $25 per item (increasing to $50 per item after June 1, 2025). This is in lieu of any other duties, including those imposed by prior Orders.

The de minimis rule, which allows goods valued at $800 or less to enter the U.S. without duties or detailed customs scrutiny, has long been exploited by Chinese exporters. According to U.S. officials, traffickers have leveraged this exemption to ship fentanyl and its precursors directly to American consumers, evading traditional enforcement mechanisms. 

By shutting down this exemption for China, the Trump administration aims to strengthen national security, protect American families, and hold bad actors accountable.

The closure of the de minimis exemption for Chinese imports is expected to have wide-ranging economic and trade implications. While primarily targeting illicit shipments, the policy will also affect legitimate low-value imports from China, potentially shifting supply chains and encouraging U.S. businesses to source from alternative markets.

For more details on this announcement, visit the official White House statement here. Please contact Samantha Rocci, Director of Federal Affairs (srocci@rvia.org) with questions.