Trump Doubles Down on Closing Tax Loophole on Cheap Imports
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- The White House announced it will maintain the end of the de minimis exemption, a policy allowing low-value imports under $800 to enter the U.S. tax-free, despite the Supreme Court striking down a major part of President Trump’s tariffs.
- The de minimis exemption enabled millions of duty-free packages from Chinese factories to reach American consumers, fueling the growth of online shopping on platforms like eBay, Amazon, Shein, and Temu.
- President Trump criticized the exemption for facilitating the entry of deadly synthetic opioids like fentanyl into the United States.
- Originally designed to reduce customs processing costs for low-value goods, the exemption had been in place for nearly a century and was last raised from $200 to $800
