Calls on Trump Administration to Strengthen Customs Enforcement so End of Duty-Free De Minimis Access Translates into Safer, Fairer Trade

Washington, D.C. — In response to the administration’s announcement today that it would extend to the entire world its May 2025 termination of the de minimis duty-free exception for certain imports from China, Lori Wallach, Director of the Rethink Trade program at the American Economic Liberties Project, said:

“Six years ago, when we first called for an end to de minimis and insisted that no commercial trade should enter without inspection, tariffs, and taxes, the big online retailers and delivery corporations profiting from this dangerous loophole laughed at us and hired more lobbyists, so this is great—if overdue—news.

For the end of duty-free access to also translate into fewer unsafe and deadly imports and end the mass trade cheating hurting domestic producers that de minimis fueled, the administration must also strengthen customs enforcement by requiring more information about imports, boosting inspection, and raising penalties for violations.

If the courts invalidate the Executive Orders based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act that implement this executive action to terminate de minimis, we urge the administration to use its ample authority under Section 321 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to issue a new Executive Order to effectuate the same global de minimis termination.”

Learn about the president’s authority to end de minimis by executive action here.

Learn more about Rethink Trade here.

Learn more about Economic Liberties here.

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The American Economic Liberties Project works to ensure America’s system of commerce is structured to advance, rather than undermine, economic liberty, fair commerce, and a secure, inclusive democracy. Economic Liberties believes true economic liberty means entrepreneurs and businesses large and small succeed on the merits of their ideas and hard work; commerce empowers consumers, workers, farmers, and engineers instead of subjecting them to discrimination and abuse from financiers and monopolists; foreign trade arrangements support domestic security and democracy; and wealth is broadly distributed to support equitable political power.