Letters sent to the United States — or packages sent by individuals worth less than $100 — will not be affected.
The de minimis provision was added several years after the passage of the Tariff Act of 1930 with the intention of making trade easier by eliminating administrative hurdles, such as collecting minimal duties. It has been particularly effective with the rise of e-commerce.
However, in recent years, cheap e-commerce retailers overseas have been accused of over-utilizing the loophole, with the White House calling di minimis a “catastrophic loophole” used to funnel synthetic drugs into the country.
Many European countries enacting restrictions now say they are taking action early because they cannot guarantee the goods will enter the country before Friday.
PostEurop, an association of 51 European public postal companies, says if no solution is found before then, all members will likely pause shipments to the United States. {read}