Closing the De Minimis Loophole Act

This bill ends the “de minimis” entry rule in U.S. import law, which is the special, simplified treatment for many small packages entering the country. It removes that treatment and tells the Treasury Department to update rules so there is enough shipment data, proper collection of duties, fees, and taxes, and strong penalties to deter fraud. The bill’s short title is the Closing the De Minimis Loophole Act.

The change starts right away for goods coming from China, with a short 3‑day grace period for items already loaded or in final transit. For goods from other countries, it starts 120 days after the bill becomes law. Treasury has 120 days to run a rulemaking to put these changes in place, including requiring more detailed product codes for certain textile and apparel items (HTS chapters 50–63), and making sure international mail shipments are treated more like other shipments, with appropriate fees and procedures set in consultation with USPS.

Key points

• Who is affected: Shipments entering the United States, including those sent through international mail; agencies like the Treasury Department and USPS. Entries for certain textiles and apparel must include detailed product codes.
• What changes: Ends de minimis treatment; increases data requirements; strengthens penalties for inaccurate or fraudulent informal entries; aligns postal shipments with other shipments and sets consistent fees and procedures.
• When: Effective on enactment for goods from China (with a brief transit exception); effective 120 days after enactment for goods from other countries; rulemaking must be completed within 120 days.