The White House has eliminated the duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value imports from China entering the United States, ending a provision that has allowed deep-discount retailers from China, such as Temu and Shein, to avoid tariffs charged on other imports and maintain lower pricing.
President Donald Trump, who announced far-reaching reciprocal tariffs yesterday, also signed an executive order eliminating the de minimis exception to tariffs on merchandise sent through means other than the international postal network valued at $800 or less, which will now be subject to the same duties as other products. Items containing goods that are sent through the international postal network that are valued at $800 or less and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption are now subject to a duty rate of either 30% of their value or $25 per item, increasing to $50 per item after June 1.
The White House, in a statement, characterized ending the exceptions for low-price goods as a critical step in stemming the illicit flow of synthetic opioids into the United States. The measure includes shipments from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong, with enforcement beginning May 2. It may be extended to packages from Macau as well.
In response to the White House action, Derek Miller, president and CEO of the International Housewares Association, said, “President Trump’s announcement to eliminate the de minimis provision for small imported shipments is very positive news for the housewares industry. A small order should not enter the U.S. at a lower rate than what IHA members must pay when bringing in larger, container loads of similar products. This change will help level the playing field.”
Dan Siegel, president of housewares company Lifetime Brands, added, “We believe the global tariff announcement on April 2nd will have a detrimental impact on consumer demand. The one positive was the closing of the de minimis loophole, scheduled for May 2nd. At the very least this puts all players on a level playing field.
Contacted by HomePage News about the tariff change, neither Shein nor Temu responded by press time.
The Trump administration had previously moved to end de minimis pricing, but the White House delayed doing so until it could set up a system to process the low-value products involved.
Market researcher Morning Consult recently pointed out that low-cost e-commerce sites, such as Temu and Shein, have seen impressive growth in the U.S. the past few years. In a research study, Morning Consult concluded that, as of January 2025, 44% of U.S. adults had used Temu and 31% had tapped Shein. The main selling point for these retailers is their competitive pricing, as 66% of shoppers told the market researcher that lower prices are a major reason why they shop from such overseas e-commerce sites instead of U.S. digital retailers. Amazon recently launched a deep-discount operation dubbed Haul on its website to better compete with retailers such as Temu and Shein.
