By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
A US tariff exemption for small orders ends Friday. It's a big deal to some shoppers and businesses
preview.jpg
Amanda Follett opens packages at A Sight For Sore Eyes, a brick-and-mortar and ecommerce store for sport goggles, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, in West Linn, Ore. - photo by AP Photo/Jenny Kane
NEW YORK (AP) — Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the United States this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods and resetting global trade with tariffs. An executive order signed last month eliminates a widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less starting Friday, nearly two years earlier than the deadline set in the tax cuts and spending bill approved by Congress. Although the president previously ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers.