March 3, 2025 (EIRNS)—A pair of executive orders signed by President Trump will end the de minimis duty allowance for border crossings into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico once “adequate systems are in place to fully and expeditiously process and collect tariff revenue.”
The de minimis level for U.S. duties sets the dollar value for an imported item that triggers import duties. Items worth up to $800 were allowed to enter the U.S. without incurring any duties. These executive orders will end that option for goods from Canada and Mexico. Already in February, the White House ended the de minimis exemption for goods from China.
The White House argues that the relatively small, untaxed packages were not subject to thorough inspection, and therefore allowed the shipment of fentanyl and other harmful substances with lessened oversight. China has repeatedly said that the U.S. is using fentanyl only as a pretext.
A March 3 executive order has increased the additional tariffs on Chinese goods from 10% to 20%.