New Updates To Customs De Minimis Exemption

On January 13 and 17, 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection ("Customs") issued two notices of proposed rulemakings that would impose new requirements on "de minimis" imports, including gifts, valued at $800 or less. These low-value or de minimis shipments are eligible for an exemption to enter the U.S. market duty free and with less information than other imports.

As we noted in our prior post, the Biden administration announced in September 2024 that it would take action to enhance supply chain visibility into the low-value shipment exemption. Over the past decade, the number of low-value shipments has increased significantly, with Customs processing, on average, over 4 million low-value shipments per day. The volume, combined with the minimal information requirements, has made it difficult for Customs to identify and interdict shipments that may conceal dangerous and illicit products, like fentanyl, counterfeit goods, and goods produced with forced labor.