Trump reinstates tariff provision for certain cheap shipments – for now

The Trump administration on Friday delayed the suspension of the so-called de minimis provision, which allows packages worth less than $800 to enter the country duty-free, a move that helps low-cost shopping sites from China that sell everything from fast fashion to furniture.

The Trump administration on Friday delayed the suspension of the so-called de minimis provision, which allows packages worth less than $800 to enter the country duty-free, a move that helps low-cost shopping sites from China that sell everything from fast fashion to furniture. The delay will last until “adequate systems are in place” for the Commerce Department “to fully and expediently process and collect tariff revenue,” according to a new executive action announced on Friday. A suspension of the long-standing de minimis provision would have had dire effects on Chinese e-commerce sites like Shein, Temu and Aliexpress — as well as for Amazon, eBay, Etsy and other retailers that ship from China. The provision was part of Trump’s announcement of 10% across-the-board tariffs on China this week, a move that, along with retaliatory tariffs from China, could reshape global trade. Chinese e-commerce sites have built their gargantuan business models around this exemption. The relaxed restrictions and tax exemptions on cheap products have allowed more than a billion packages to pour in at a low-cost price for consumers looking for deals on clothing to household goods. The delay is another example of Trump’s policies meeting reality, Clark Packard, a research fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute, told CNN.