These programs, which allow foreign e-commerce vendors to bypass U.S. customs processes, will continue to ensure that the de minimis loophole remains a flawed system that undermines American workers, businesses, and national security.
A mostly Democratic Party panel of members of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) held a hearing on tariffs on Wednesday, where the room was heavily weighted against incoming president Trump’s 10% (or 20%) universal tariff proposal.
While the bill’s title suggests a crackdown on the unfolding de minimis catastrophe, in reality it would handcuff CBP’s ability to do anything about it.
For Mr. Lutnick to lead the tariff and trade agenda in the next Administration, he will need an aligned Treasury Secretary to executive critical policies on customs revenue generation, customs valuation, and de minimis.
Either we have a fashion industry or we have de minimis, but we cannot have both, warned Jacob Helberg, one of the 10 commissioners for the U.S. China Economic and Security Review Commission.
The U.S. goods and services deficit took a surprising 19.3% leap to $84.4 billion in September, with exports falling by 1.2% and imports rising by 3%, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported on Tuesday.
De minimis, a customs rule that allows for duty free shipment and minimal inspection if the overseas vendor claims the value is under $800, is a haven for contraband, whether it’s fake Nikes, childrens’ toys made of lead, or banned food products, Customs and Border Protect (CBP) admitted yet again.
Keynes believed that free trade could exacerbate domestic unemployment and economic imbalances and argues for the use of tariffs and trade protections to safeguard national industries, preserve employment, and promote the balance of trade.
This legislation would end China’s Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status, a necessary move as China continues to flood global markets with artificially cheap goods, displacing U.S. investment and jobs.