fascinating how the reporting doesn't clarify that it's not just a bunch of busy work and a tax on Americans, but that the US didn't even bother making the system exist before introducing the rules. from last week:
> “Key questions remain unresolved, particularly regarding how and by whom customs duties will be collected in the future, what additional data will be required, and how the data transmission to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will be carried out,” DHL, the largest shipping provider in Europe, said in a statement.
Ive implemented a lot of logic for international parcel shipments. In this industry something as small as a label placed a couple inches off can be grounds for very expensive chargeback. It's a very litigious space.
The fact that no one has the slightest clue how to implement this is insanity to the third degree.
Good. Deminimis is what allows low effort arbitrage of sales straight from foreign countries to the detriment of any local business engaged in anything beyond drop shipping with maybe a few extra steps. We really don't need subsidized trinkets going from ali express to landfills faster than greased lightning.
Seems like a positive development from an enviromental point of view.. less low quality crap from Shein and Temu means less energy shipping it and less garbage later. Win win.
The EU is working on a similar thing. The concept has been exploited by global drop shippers and sites like Temu. Obviously there will be some disruption as everyone adjusts.
The consumer and small business lose, all because China couldn't resist taking advantage of the program. Now, simply ordering any item from Canada or Europe that is not available in the US will incur costs that are several times the item's value.
Why not just end De Minimis to China and leave it for the rest of the world that doesn't take advantage of it and reciprocates with their own De Minimis for US Imports?
Just remember it’s not just crap from Shein, Temu, Ali express that’s being hit. Your former “friends” and long-time trade partners are also being impacted by this blanket policy.
I'm glad to see people in this thread saying that this will be an environmental win while we're ending subsidies for "Unreliable, Foreign-Controlled Energy Sources"[0] and "Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry"[1]
There is no good here. I don't when it became popular or acceptable to restrict free trade and ignore reality.
In a world with no friction, one would want tariffs to apply to all goods. The de minimis exemption dealt with the fact that it was a PITA to do all the paperwork etc. that accompanies a tariff.
Obviously the main problem is that tariffs do not lead to positive future outcomes for the country levying them.
This is one of the very few (only?) moves by this Admin that I agree with. Yes, it's hurts hobbyists ordering from AliExpress, but it's a loophole that has been largely exploited.
I was buying a lot of custom, fully populated hobby PCBs and the price has skyrocketed so much that it’s too cost prohibitive to order from JLCPCB. You can order PCBs from Oshpark however the boards don’t come fully populated with all of your components so you would need to order from like Mouser and surface mount all of them yourself (for my application)
To put it in perspective, used to pay about $85-$90 for 10 completed boards —- shipped —- now it is $316ish for 10 boards shipped.
Historically from a revenue perspective essentially all the tarrif revenue came from bulk imports (trucks, ships, etc).
It is important to also capture tarrifs from high value parcels, as for small but high value items a parcel can very much be a similar bulk import. (Picture diamonds. A moderate sized parcel full of them is very much a bulk import).
But at the same time trying to collect tarrifs on every parcel was historically deemed non-viable. Way too much work for too little gain. Especially since historically, the addressee of the parcel often ends up paying the tarrif, this requiring customs to communicate this to the parcel carriers broker, who must communicate it and collect from the end customer, who finally gives the money to the broker, who submits it to the government. Meanwhile CBP needs to store this package.
This whole process ends up just annoying your countries own citizens, and generated little revenue, so a de minimis exemption of some form was highly desireable. And to most politicians there seemed like little downside to setting it fairly large. Sure $800 is probably larger than reasonable, but it certainly means the average person would rarely ever need to interact with this process, and that was good enough.
24 comments
[ 2.9 ms ] story [ 46.8 ms ] thread> “Key questions remain unresolved, particularly regarding how and by whom customs duties will be collected in the future, what additional data will be required, and how the data transmission to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will be carried out,” DHL, the largest shipping provider in Europe, said in a statement.
https://apnews.com/article/us-tariffs-goods-services-suspens...
The fact that no one has the slightest clue how to implement this is insanity to the third degree.
Why not just end De Minimis to China and leave it for the rest of the world that doesn't take advantage of it and reciprocates with their own De Minimis for US Imports?
When the de minimis exemption for China already ended 4 months ago?
And it would, in fact, have been easy for Trump to do exactly what you suggest, if that had been his intention?
This isn't about China.
This is about Trump's stubborn wrongheaded idea that tariffs are Good, Actually, and that means they should apply to everything.
I'm not thrilled with the way China acts in general, but come on; place the blame where it really belongs—and not on one of the victims.
How is China "taking advantage" of anything? They produce decent products at low prices.
The US Deminimis seemed quite generous. No wonder it is removed.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/de-minimis-u-s-canada-endin...
There is no good here. I don't when it became popular or acceptable to restrict free trade and ignore reality.
0: https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/07/fact-sheet-pr...
1: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/rein...
I thought you were making a joke but that really is the name of the EO. It's so over for America
Obviously the main problem is that tariffs do not lead to positive future outcomes for the country levying them.
This simply expires the exception for the remaining 25%.
To put it in perspective, used to pay about $85-$90 for 10 completed boards —- shipped —- now it is $316ish for 10 boards shipped.
It is important to also capture tarrifs from high value parcels, as for small but high value items a parcel can very much be a similar bulk import. (Picture diamonds. A moderate sized parcel full of them is very much a bulk import).
But at the same time trying to collect tarrifs on every parcel was historically deemed non-viable. Way too much work for too little gain. Especially since historically, the addressee of the parcel often ends up paying the tarrif, this requiring customs to communicate this to the parcel carriers broker, who must communicate it and collect from the end customer, who finally gives the money to the broker, who submits it to the government. Meanwhile CBP needs to store this package.
This whole process ends up just annoying your countries own citizens, and generated little revenue, so a de minimis exemption of some form was highly desireable. And to most politicians there seemed like little downside to setting it fairly large. Sure $800 is probably larger than reasonable, but it certainly means the average person would rarely ever need to interact with this process, and that was good enough.