The Biden administration will issue a notice of proposed rulemaking to forbid all goods subject to major trade actions, including Section 301 tariffs, from de minimis entry, the White House announced. It will also issue a notice of proposed rulemaking to require information submissions for de minimis packages, including the 10-digit HTS code and the person receiving the goods.
The administration rebranded two pending rulemaking processes and revived one that was abandoned in 2021 to address the compliance risks of de minimis shipments as well as shrink the volume of direct-to-consumer imports.
Tariffs on imports from China of electric vehicles, EV batteries, solar cells and wafers, face masks, needles and syringes, critical minerals and steel and aluminum will go up Sept. 27, with more Section 301 tariff hikes planned for Jan. 1, 2025, and Jan. 1, 2026.
Imports from China of electric vehicles, EV batteries, solar cells and wafers, face masks, needles and syringes, critical minerals and steel and aluminum will all be hiked Sept. 27, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced Sept. 13, as part of a longer-term modification of Section 301 duties.
CBP has released its Sept. 11 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 58, No. 36), which includes the following ruling actions:
It's not clear whether removing all Chinese goods or apparel from de minimis would shrink the universe of duty-free imports the most, but the latter approach, combined with a restriction for Section 301 tariff targets, may be gaining support on the Hill.
Vice President Kamala Harris called the former president's idea of imposing tariffs on imports from all countries "the Trump sales tax" during the Sept. 10 presidential debate, saying it would increase the cost of everyday goods by 20%.
Monishkumar Kirankumar Doshi Shah, who owned jewelry companies in New York City , pleaded guilty Sept. 10 to leading a scheme to "illegally evade customs duties for more than $13.5 million of jewelry imports" into the U.S., the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey announced. Shah, a resident of Jersey City, New Jersey, and Mumbai, also admitted to illicitly processing over $10.3 million through an "unlicensed money transmitting business."
A regional union president for CBP officers asked Congress "to close the de minimis exception" or at least lower the de minimis threshold, but also to increase funding for frontline staff.
House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Adrian Smith, R-Neb., said members of Congress have a wide range of views "of what the reaction should be" to compliance weaknesses in de minimis shipments. "But I think we need to continue the conversation and look for solutions that can generate the results we need," he said. Smith said he thinks Congress can pass a de minimis bill this year.