The two Trump Administrations have reshaped the debate on U.S. trade policy. For the first time in decades, U.S. officials are no longer endorsing the “free trade” orthodoxy that has contributed to the erosion of its manufacturing sector. Instead, tariffs are now the centerpiece of U.S. plans to repatriate supply chains and reindustrialize America.
President Trump’s action to close the de minimis loophole for China is a monumental victory for American workers, manufacturers, and national security.
Members of the House Ways and Means Committee gave U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer a piece of their mind on Wednesday during a four-and-a-half-hour hearing—double the time he spent with the Senate Finance Committee the day before.
For years, the de minimis loophole has flooded the U.S. with uninspected, untaxed, and often dangerous goods—from counterfeit products to fentanyl precursors fueling America’s opioid crisis.
Jamieson Greer seems certain to be approved as the next United States Trade Representative (USTR), but the Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee proved once again that they are anti-tariff—unless the target is China.
As of today, all merchandise originating in China must enter the United States through standard customs procedures, submit full import documentation, and pay applicable duties and taxes—a long-overdue reform to restore order and accountability to America’s trade system.
On day one of the new administration, rather than any new tariffs, President Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum titled America First Trade Policy.
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.
