President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to eliminate the long-standing de minimis tariff exemption for low-value imports into the United States—significantly increasing costs for UK exporters, global e-commerce sellers, and American consumers buying inexpensive goods from overseas.
From 29 August 2025, all goods entering the US valued under $800 will be subject to full duties, based on the country of origin and product category. The exemption, which previously allowed duty-free import of low-value packages, was a cornerstone of cross-border e-commerce and streamlined global trade.
Over the past decade, the number of low-value parcels entering the US has surged by more than 600%, according to US Customs and Border Protection. Shipments rose from 139 million in 2015 to over 1.36 billion in 2024, fuelled by the rise of e-commerce platforms like Temu and Shein, which rely on low-cost, high-volume delivery models.
The White House described the de minimis provision as a “catastrophic loophole” that enabled tariff evasion and the import of unsafe or below-market goods, including counterfeit products and synthetic opioids.
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