On July 30, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order, suspending the duty-free de minimis treatment for imports from all countries to address national emergencies related to illicit drug trafficking and trade deficits. The suspension will take effect starting August 29, 2025. President Trump had previously suspended the duty-free de minimis treatment for Mexico, Canada, Hong Kong, and China, based on the declared national emergencies related to fentanyl and illicit drug trafficking. The initial suspension was paused until a process was put in place to collect duties for such articles. Pursuant to this Executive Order, that process is now available and therefore, President Trump is reimposing the suspension of the de minimis treatment for those countries—as well as the rest of the world. For the rest of the world, President Trump stated that the suspension of the de minimis treatment is necessary to deal with President Trump’s declared emergency regarding the U.S. trade deficits.
Under this new treatment, all shipments will be subject to “all applicable duties, taxes, fees, exactions, and charges” and an ACE filing must be made for such shipments. The only exemption is for shipments sent through the international postal network which “shall pass free of any duties except those specified in section 3…and without the preparation of an entry by U.S. Customs and Border Protection…” Section 3 of the Executive Order provides the following duty rates for international postal shipments:
(b) A duty equal to the effective IEEPA tariff rate applicable to the country of origin of the product shall be assessed on the value of each dutiable postal item (package) containing goods entered for consumption.
(c) A specific duty shall be assessed on each package containing goods entered for consumption, based on the effective IEEPA tariff rate applicable to the country of origin of the product as follows:
(i) Countries with an effective IEEPA tariff rate of less than 16 percent: $80 per item;
(ii) Countries with an effective IEEPA tariff rate between 16 and 25 percent (inclusive): $160 per item; and
(iii) Countries with an effective IEEPA rate above 25 percent: $200 per item.
The methodology outlined in subsection (c) will only be available for 6 months. After which, importers must use the methodology outlined in subsection (b).
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