--- title: 'De Minimis No More: Closed Tariff Loophole Could Lead to Shipping Delays, Higher Fees' description: President Donald Trump has ended the de minimis exemption for low-value shipments, and U.S. consumers are about to feel the impact. authors: - name: Pete Grieve role: Lead News Reporter url: https://money.com/author/pete-grieve/ bio: Pete Grieve is a personal finance reporter. In his time at Money, Pete has covered everything from car buying to credit cards to the housing market. education: University of Chicago, BA Political Science at_money_since: 2022 articles: 597 covers: - Economy and Politics - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes social: - https://twitter.com/pete_grieve - https://linkedin.com/in/pete-grieve-b5aa02138 - https://www.facebook.com/petegrieve4 editors: - name: Julia Glum role: Managing Editor url: https://money.com/author/julia-glum/ bio: Julia Glum joined Money in 2018 and specializes in covering financial trends that affect everyday Americans' wallets. She also writes Dollar Scholar, a weekly newsletter that teaches young adults how to navigate the messy world of money. education: University of Florida at_money_since: 2018 articles: 453 covers: - Economy and Politics - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes - Technology also_seen_in: - Newsweek - International Business Times - CBS News - Good Morning America - WUSA9 - Pix 11 - The New York Times - Mashable - The Washington Post - CNBC - Politico social: - https://x.com/superjulia - https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-glum published: '2025-08-29T17:21:47.000Z' modified: '2025-08-29T18:17:30.000Z' section: Economy and Politics tags: - News word_count: 610 canonical: https://money.com/de-minimis-exemption-shopping-effects/ type: NewsArticle source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Photo illustration of multiple cranes Hoisting Shipping Containers in American Flag Colors, with percentage signs in the background](https://img.money.com/2025/08/News-Exports-Loophole-Change.jpg) Millions of low-value shipments are sent to the U.S. each day, and until now, packages shipped to consumers valued under $800 have been exempt from President Donald Trump's tariffs. That changed Friday. The de minimis exemption for these shipments has officially ended, and consumers are about to feel the impact. ## Our Partners ### TOP PARTNER ![Learn More](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/26106/medium_f0c85990-515f-4e98-ad3a-a9c176eb3e64.webp) Our Partner [Learn More](https://money.com/go/f80b84df1537?ap_referrer=%2Fde-minimis-exemption-shopping-effects%2F&bidid=4030874035&ptid=662452161&ptoken=9aaf5cf6867e63abde106dca5e319c9e&zip=20149) **🤝 Up To $250K For Established Businesses** - Term Loans Can Fund the Same Day† - Lines of Credit Can Fund Instantly\* - Fast Application Process, No Hard Credit Pulls - Flexible Repayment Terms: 12, 18 or 24 Months * * * ![Learn More](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/26226/medium_561193eb-a532-419a-96f7-698bd201bcc6.png) Our Partner [Learn More](https://money.com/go/26305266b29b?ap_referrer=%2Fde-minimis-exemption-shopping-effects%2F&bidid=4030874032&ptid=662452161&ptoken=13411949bab71c5f46dd90cb7b2cd8d5&zip=20149) **Funding Options for 500 Credit Score Businesses** - Loans Range from $5,000 to $600,000 - Business Line of Credit & Equipment Financing - Get Pre-Qualified Online in Minutes - Access Funding in Less Than 24 Hours * * * ![Learn More](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/17474/medium_074d2c77-6aa4-465e-a7c7-429120c96217.png) Our Partner [Learn More](https://money.com/go/a5d16aa6737f?ap_referrer=%2Fde-minimis-exemption-shopping-effects%2F&bidid=4030874058&ptid=662452161&ptoken=5fc2621bf52776a078360f9538d51c80&zip=20149) **Get funded in as soon as 24 hours of acceptance** - Borrow up to $1.5 million with repayment terms of 4-18 months - Protect your credit score with a soft inquiry during the application process - No hidden fees, making it easy to manage your finances confidently. *\*Not available in North Dakota*   * * * ![Learn More](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/5233/medium_3a70c67d-d4e2-43ca-94f8-46a13284a0bf.webp) Our Partner [Learn More](https://money.com/go/a6bf5e1460f2?ap_referrer=%2Fde-minimis-exemption-shopping-effects%2F&bidid=4030874041&ptid=662452161&ptoken=34e79bdd5ab9f7de0d6c106c65c4c875&zip=20149) **BBB Accredited Company with cash in as little as 24 hours** - Loan Amounts: Up to $500,000 - Average Yearly Revenue requirements: $250,000 - Minimum Credit Score: 600 FICO - Minimum Time in Business to apply: 6 months *\*Not available in California* * * * ![Learn More](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/26107/medium_57443781-ffc6-4642-9aad-743080400e1a.png) Our Partner [Learn More](https://money.com/go/fbb6eb0dc2b9?ap_referrer=%2Fde-minimis-exemption-shopping-effects%2F&bidid=4030874047&ptid=662452161&ptoken=b89862cf766a6b29b075e81c29b0e28e&zip=20149) #### **Loans Range: $25,000 to $1Million\*** - Fixed-rate Financing for Eligible Customers - Revenue-Based Financing Option - +$8B in Business Financings Since 2007 - Get Approved in 24 Hours Companies including Temu and [Shein](https://money.com/is-shein-legit/) have used this exemption — or "loophole," as critics call it — to grow their businesses selling super-cheap apparel, electronics and home goods. They evaded levies shipping items directly to American shoppers, undercutting many U.S. retailers. In July, however, Trump signed an [executive order](https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/07/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-is-protecting-the-united-states-national-security-and-economy-by-suspending-the-de-minimis-exemption-for-commercial-shipments-globally/) suspending the de minimis exemption. (The Latin phrase "de minimis" translates to "of little importance.") The exemption has allowed for duty-free imports of low-value shipments since the 1930s. For the past nine years, the exemption has applied to packages with retail value under $800. Trump's executive order states that these items will now be subject to duties, taxes and fees, which can [range](https://apnews.com/article/de-minimis-exemption-ends-august-29-edc26b9f0d7935ad7978c7eba5e3967c) from 10% to 50% depending on the country of origin. For low-value packages, the tariff fee will now be charged at the same rate as the overall U.S. tariff rate for that country. There's also a temporary option to pay flat duties of $80, $160 or $200 per package, depending on country-specific tariff rates. Here's what consumers need to know about the end of the de minimis exemption, which has shielded inexpensive items from tariffs for many decades. ## Are package shipments paused? A list of countries including Canada, Germany, Mexico and Japan have announced pauses for affected package shipments to the U.S. while the situation unfolds. The government of Mexico said its measure [would be in effect](https://www.gob.mx/sre/prensa/suspension-temporal-en-el-envio-de-paquetes-a-estados-unidos) "while new operational processes are defined." Shipping companies are also reporting disruptions. In an Aug. 22 [statement](https://group.dhl.com/content/dam/deutschepostdhl/en/media-relations/press-releases/2025/pr-us-customs-20250822.pdf) announcing temporary shipping restrictions, DHL said that "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." ## What's happening with packages from China? Trump ended the de minimis exemption for China earlier, back in May. That move had immediate impact, with Temu announcing at the time that it was changing fulfillment strategies to mitigate impacts. The online marketplace, known for ultra-cheap goods, is currently advertising "no import charges" for "local warehouse items," which means orders are fulfilled from existing stockpiles in the U.S. However, Temu's U.S. sales fell nearly in half in the aftermath of the de minimis change, according to [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/retailer-temus-daily-us-users-halve-following-end-de-minimis-loophole-2025-06-02/). In the spring, Shein's U.S. sales similarly slumped as its prices went up. Other platforms, like TikTok Shop and AliExpress, were also impacted. ## How does the end of the de minimis exemption affect me? The end of the exemption for China and Hong Kong was notable, as they accounted for [about 60%](https://apnews.com/article/de-minimis-exemption-end-date-dutyfree-48862fc5b6a563a077284e364fb14f08) of de minimis shipments in 2024. Now, the de minimis exemption is suspended for all countries, broadening the impact. Sites like Etsy and eBay are expected to be hit hard as sellers (and their shoppers) around the world face additional tariff costs, according to [stock market analysts](https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/20250829194/trump-closes-the-de-minimis-shipping-loophole-etsy-and-ebay-shares-have-tumbled). This also means that individuals sending gifts or mail to family, friends or other foreign addresses will be subject to duties. 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