government’s threshold for expedited, duty-free treatment from $200 to $800 in 2016. that benefit from the de minimis rule has soared in recent years.

The volume of products coming into the U.S.

Customs and Border Protection to focus its resources on the bigger-ticket items that generate more tariff revenue for the federal government. The rule speeds the pace of commerce and lowers costs for consumers. Chamber of Commerce, who argues that the current U.S. “De minimis has become a proxy for all sorts of anxieties as it relates to China and other trade-related challenges,” said John Drake, a vice president at the U.S. Efforts to lower the threshold amount or exclude certain countries altogether from duty-free treatment are set to become a major trade fight in this Congress. law, most imports valued at less than $800 enter duty-free into the United States as long as they are packaged and addressed to individual buyers. It also could add to the growing tensions between the countries. The changing political dynamic could have major ramifications for e-commerce businesses and consumers importing products from China valued at less than $800. WASHINGTON - Conservatives anxious to counter America's leading economic adversary have set their sights on a top trade priority for labor unions and progressives: cracking down on the deluge of duty-free packages coming in from China.

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