Trump Executive Order Ends De Minimis Exemption August 29, 2025
UPDATE: the link to the fact sheet about this executive order has been taken down from the White House website, but the link to the actual order is still live.
Executive Orders
And here's an archived version of the fact sheet:
The White House
President Trump has just signed an executive order ending duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value shipments from all countries effective August 29, 2025.
According to a fact sheet put out by the White House, here's what's changing:
- Effective August 29, imported goods sent through means other than the international postal network that are valued at or under $800 and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption will be subject to all applicable duties.
- For goods shipped through the international postal system, packages will instead be assessed duties according to one of the following methodologies:
- Ad valorem duty: A duty equal to the effective tariff rate imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) that is applicable to the country of origin of the product. This duty shall be assessed on the value of each package.
- Specific duty: A duty ranging from $80 per item to $200 per item, depending on the effective IEEPA tariff rate applicable to the country of origin of the product. The specific duty methodology will be available for six months, after which all applicable shipments must comply with the ad valorem duty methodology.
- Longstanding exemptions under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(A) and (B) remain in place – meaning American travelers can still bring back up to $200 in personal items and individuals can continue to receive bona fide gifts valued at $100 or less duty-free.
Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act earlier this month, which had given given shippers a longer deadline to prepare for the end of the de minimis exemption for all countries, saying it would not go into effect until July 1, 2027.
But that has now changed as President Trump says he believes the change needs to be enacted much sooner to "deal with national emergencies and save American lives and businesses NOW."
Changes made earlier this year to end de minimis for goods from China initially snarled inbound shipments, causing USPS to temporarily halt accepting packages and creating chaos for importers.
Will this new August 29th deadline stick or is it just a bargaining chip in ongoing trade wars that will eventually be reversed again? Stay tuned updates in this developing story!
