De Minimis No Longer Available for Goods Originating China & Hong Kong – May 2

On April 2, 2025, President Trump again amended the Executive Order Imposing Duties to Address the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China. Effective May 2, 2025, products of China (including Hong Kong) will no longer be eligible for duty-free de minimis treatment. The amendment follows the notification from the Secretary of Commerce to the President that “adequate systems are now in place to process and collect tariff revenue for covered goods from the PRC otherwise eligible for duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C).”

To avoid doubt, this amendment also applies to international postal packages sent to the U.S. through the international postal network from China or Hong Kong.

Who can file a customs entry?

A customs broker.

The text: Other than articles sent to the United States through the international postal network (for which a duty is separately provided as described in subsections (b) and (c) of this section), all shipments of articles described in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14195, as amended by Executive Order 14228, that are products of the PRC or Hong Kong; that are sent to the United States; that are valued at or under 800 dollars and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption authorized in 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C); and that are entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 am eastern daylight time on May 2, 2025, shall be entered by a party qualified to make entry under another appropriate entry type in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security, with all applicable duties, including those imposed by section 2(a) of Executive Order 14195, as amended by Executive Order 14228, and paid in accordance with the applicable entry and payment procedures.

Postal Shipments

All postal items containing goods sent to the United States through the international postal network from China or Hong Kong and transported by carriers that are valued at or under 800 dollars and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption shall be subject to the following duty rates:

Ad Valorem Duty

May 2, 2025: Ad valorem duty of 30% of the value of the postal item.

Specific Duty

On May 2 and before June 1, 2025: USD25 per postal item

On June 1, 2025: USD50 per postal item

U.S. Customs and Border Protection may require a formal entry for any international postal package. If the package requires formal entry, it will be subject to all applicable duties, taxes, and fees instead of the above-mentioned rates.

We will continue to update you as information becomes available.