President Donald Trump’s implementation of a 10%, across-the-board tariff on all Chinese imports included an RV industry bonus. The tariffs have eliminated the de minimis duties exemption for all Chinese imported products.
How long the de minimis exemption is eliminated remains a mystery.
As long as the current tariffs are in place, the de minimis exemption is removed. Once the tariffs are paused or rescinded, if they are, the de minimis exemption would return.
Meanwhile, a proposed rule by the Joe Biden administration to eliminate the de minimis exemption for all Section 301 product imports remains on the books. Section 301 tariffs cover about 40% of U.S. imports.
The proposed Trade and National Security Actions and Low-Value Shipments rule is in a 60-day comment period that expires March 24. The proposed rule has 27 comment letters, many from small-business owners who do not like the proposed de minimis exemption elimination because it could harm their business.
The rule was proposed the weekend before Trump’s inauguration and not published in the Federal Register until Jan. 21. Despite the change in leadership at the Customs and Border Protection agency, the proposed rule has not been retracted.
If the U.S. administration applies the tariffs currently paused against Canada and Mexico, the de minimis exemption on imports from those countries also would be eliminated.
Products shipped under the de minimis exemption have caused headaches for RV aftermarket suppliers. RVIA has worked with other affected industries to bring the issue to the forefront. The advocacy work helped lead to the proposed Trade and National Security Actions and Low-Value Shipments rule.
