Should the government limit customs fees against items under $800?

Economy and Taxation Foreign Affairs/Relations
End China’s De Minimis Abuse Act (H.R. 7979)
Awaiting Vote
Bill Summary

H.R. 7979 seeks to modify the Tariff Act of 1930 to end the exploitation of the de minimis rule. Currently, under the de minimis rule, there are no custom duties when bringing in an item under the value of $800. The bill wants to deny the benefits of this rule to products belonging to Section 301 tariffs, which would affect goods from China. Additionally, the bill creates a new 10-digit classification system for all de minimis goods under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. If someone is to violate this law, a $5000 fine will be imposed for the first offense with an additional $10,000 fine for the subsequent violations. Sponsor: Rep. Gregory F. Murphy, (Republican, North Carolina, District 3)
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Opponents say

•    "NCTO, which has long called for aggressive de minimis reforms, believes that the bill as introduced needs to be strengthened to comprehensively and effectively restructure this extremely flawed tariff waiver mechanism. Specifically, we do not believe the bill goes far enough in restricting China’s enormous privileges under de minimis. In addition, we strongly believe the bill, at the very least, should preclude de minimis treatment for trade-sensitive sectors, such as textiles and apparel, which according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection accounts for a full 50 percent of all de minimis entries." Source: National Council of Textile Organizations 


•    "The proposed “End China’s De Minimis Abuse Act” would only close the de minimis loophole for goods subject to Section 301 trade enforcement tariffs. However, a significant portion of Chinese imports—40 out of the top 100 products—currently evade penalty tariffs, rendering the bill largely ineffective. Moreover, if a future administration were to lift the existing 301 sanctions, the legislation would be completely ineffective." Source: United States Footwear Manufacturers Association

Proponents say

•    "By updating our De Minimis law, we are ensuring that American businesses have the opportunity to compete on a level playing field. The End China’s De Minimis Abuse Act is a critical update necessary to supporting our small business economy." Source: Rep. Gregory F. Murphy (Republican, North Carolina, District 3)


•    "We can no longer tolerate China’s abuse of U.S. trade policy in order to dodge accountability and evade tariffs…When nearly two-thirds of all imports arriving in the U.S. under a privileged exemption come from China, it’s clear there’s a problem." Source: Jason Smith (Republican, Missouri, District 8) Chairman of Ways and Means Committee 

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