President Donald Trump is shutting down a massive China trade loophole that’s been fueling America’s fentanyl crisis. Starting May 2, 2025, low-value imports from China and Hong Kong—once duty-free under the “de minimis” rule—will now face tariffs of up to $50 per package. The crackdown targets shady Chinese shippers who sneak deadly synthetic opioids into the U.S. under the guise of legitimate trade. With fentanyl killing more Americans each year than the entire Vietnam War, Trump says enough is enough—promising to “seal the border and stop the influx of deadly drugs.”
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Closes De Minimis Exemptions to Combat China’s Role in America’s Synthetic Opioid Crisis
CLOSING LOOPHOLES IN THE TARIFF SYSTEM: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order eliminating duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value imports from China, a critical step in countering the ongoing health emergency posed by the illicit flow of synthetic opioids into the U.S.
- Following the Secretary of Commerce’s notification that adequate systems are in place to collect tariff revenue, President Trump is ending duty-free de minimis treatment for covered goods from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Hong Kong starting May 2, 2025 at 12:01 a.m. EDT.
- Imported goods sent through means other than the international postal network that are valued at or under $800 and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption will be subject to all applicable duties, which shall be paid in accordance with applicable entry and payment procedures.
- All relevant postal items containing goods that are sent through the international postal network that are valued at or under $800 and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption are subject to a duty rate of either 30% of their value or $25 per item (increasing to $50 per item after June 1, 2025). This is in lieu of any other duties, including those imposed by prior Orders.
- Carriers transporting these postal items must report shipment details to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), maintain an international carrier bond to ensure duty payment, and remit duties to CBP on a set schedule.
- CBP may require formal entry for any postal package instead of the specified duties.
- The Secretary of Commerce will submit a report within 90 days assessing the Order’s impact and considering whether to extend these rules to packages from Macau.
COMBATING CHINA’S ROLE IN THE OPIOID CRISIS: President Trump is targeting deceptive shipping practices by Chinese-based shippers, many of whom hide illicit substances, including synthetic opioids, in low-value packages to exploit the de minimis exemption.
- On average, CBP processes over 4 million de minimis shipments into the U.S. each day.
- The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which exerts ultimate control over the government and enterprises of the PRC, has subsidized and otherwise incentivized PRC chemical companies to export fentanyl and related precursor chemicals that are used to produce synthetic opioids sold illicitly in the United States.
- Many PRC-based chemical companies hide illicit substances in the flow of legitimate commerce, including through false invoices, fraudulent postage, and deceptive packaging.
- While the U.S. previously offered a generous de minimis exemption, China enforces strict import restrictions and tightly limits de minimis exemptions, showing no similar leniency toward U.S. shipments.
- Last fiscal year, CBP apprehended more than 21,000 pounds of fentanyl at our borders, enough fentanyl to kill more than 4 billion people.
- It is estimated that federal officials are only able to seize a fraction of the fentanyl smuggled across the southern border.
- These drugs kill tens of thousands of Americans each year, including 75,000 deaths per year attributed to fentanyl alone.
- More Americans are dying from fentanyl overdoses each year than the number of American lives lost in the entirety of the Vietnam War.
KEEPING HIS PROMISE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE: When voters overwhelmingly elected Donald J. Trump as President, they gave him a mandate to seal the border and stop the influx of deadly drugs. That is exactly what he is doing.
- On the campaign trail, President Trump promised “We will not rest until we have ended the drug addiction crisis.”
- Upon returning to office, President Trump immediately took action to seal the border and crack down on drug trafficking.
- President Trump implemented 20% tariffs on China to address the threat of the sustained influx of synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, flowing from China into the United States.
April 2, 2025 The White House Washington , DC
Source: WH.gov , Midtown Tribune
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