in effect
This is a presidential Executive Order (EO 14256, signed April 2, 2025), issued under emergency economic powers (IEEPA) and trade laws. It amends earlier orders about the synthetic opioid supply chain from China. It ends the “de minimis” duty-free treatment that let low-value packages (worth $800 or less) from China and Hong Kong enter the U.S. without tariffs, and it sets up how duties will now be charged on those shipments.
Starting 12:01 a.m. Eastern on May 2, 2025, low-value goods from China and Hong Kong (packages valued at $800 or less that previously entered duty-free) must instead be formally entered through Customs and Border Protection’s system with all applicable duties paid. For packages coming through the international postal network, transportation carriers must instead collect and remit one of two duty options, applied uniformly to all their shipments: either 30% of the package’s value (ad valorem), or a flat per-package fee of $25 (rising to $50 per package on June 1, 2025). Carriers must hold an international carrier bond to guarantee payment, remit duties to CBP on a periodic (e.g., monthly) basis, and report package counts and values; CBP may also require formal entry for any package instead. Within 90 days, the Secretary of Commerce must report to the President on the order’s impact and advise whether to extend these rules to packages from Macau to prevent circumvention.
Shippers, e-commerce sellers, and consumers dealing in low-value goods from China and Hong Kong are directly affected, since packages that used to arrive duty-free now carry tariffs or per-item fees. Transportation and postal carriers bear new obligations to collect duties, post bonds, and report shipment data to CBP. U.S. government agencies — chiefly the Department of Homeland Security through CBP, along with Commerce, Treasury, and the International Trade Commission — must implement, enforce, and monitor the changes.