A longstanding exemption that let people skip import fees on packages valued at less than $800 ended on Friday
A longstanding tariff exemption that let people skip import fees for small-value packages ended on Friday, leaving small businesses and postal services around the world scrambling to apply Donald Trump’s tariffs to millions of shipments.
Experts say the change could mean up to $13bn in extra costs and delayed shipping for consumers as businesses adjust to the change. Here’s what we know about the end of the exemption.
The de minimis exemption allowed packages valued at less than $800 to be shipped into the US tariff-free. The exemption comes from the Tariff Act of 1930.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which oversees tariff collection and package inspection at ports and airports, estimated that 1.36bn shipments into the US were de minimis in fiscal year 2024. The total value of de minimis shipments hit $64.6bn that year – the second highest after 2020.
