The "de minimis" rule — which lets packages worth $800 or less enter the U.S. duty-free with minimal paperwork — would be phased out. For goods from China the change is immediate; for goods from other countries it takes effect 120 days after enactment. Shoppers who buy low-cost imported items from overseas retailers could face new duties, fees, and customs paperwork. The Treasury Department would write rules on entry procedures, penalties, and postal-shipment fees during a 120-day window.
Average Household Impact
- De minimis import exemption — Eliminated for shipments under $800, adding duties and fees to low-value parcels
Congressional Summary
Closing the De Minimis Loophole ActThis bill immediately terminates de minimis treatment for goods originating in China and phases out such treatment for goods originating from all other countries. (Current law allows for U.S. imports under a de minimis threshold of $800 per shipment to enter free of tariffs, fees, and taxes.)Specifically, de minimis treatment ends (1) with respect to goods from China, beginning on the bill's enactment date (with an exception for goods already loaded onto a vessel or in transit during the three-day period that ends on the enactment date); and (2) with respect to goods from any other country, 120 days after the bill's enactment.During the 120-day period beginning on the date of the bill's enactment, the Department of the Treasury must carry out a rulemaking process. Among other elements, the rulemaking process must ensure that data requirements and entry procedures for informal modes of entry are sufficient to ensure the effective enforcement of U.S. laws and the efficient and accurate collection of duties, fees, and taxes.The bill directs Treasury, in the case of shipments sent through the international postal network, to determine appropriate fees and procedures to ensure consistency between the treatment of shipments by the U.S. Postal Service and other shipments.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2025-05-22
- Date Added
- 2026-05-14
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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