Retailers Welcome Administration's Actions on De Minimis

By [ Blake Harden ]
Washington, DC
09/13/2024

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) issued the following statement on the Biden-Harris administration’s new actions to improve enforcement of our customs laws on de minimis shipments, packages entering the U.S. under $800 in value:

“The Biden-Harris administration has directed Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to craft new rules to increase enforcement of U.S. customs and product safety laws for low-value shipments. Improving compliance obligations with these new rules will ensure that foreign businesses cannot exploit the de minimis privilege, protecting American consumers and disadvantaged American companies. These actions will also take needed steps toward addressing concerns that CBP and CPSC cannot adequately prevent noncompliant or dangerous goods from entering the United States through the de minimis channel.

“While RILA remains opposed to the application of section 301 tariffs on consumer goods and will continue to advocate for their removal, we also believe that as long as such tariffs remain in place, they should be applied evenly and fairly.

“Today’s move by the Biden-Harris administration is a welcome step, but it does not absolve Congress from moving swiftly to reach a bipartisan agreement that permanently levels the playing field for American businesses and, at the same time, protects consumers."

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RILA is the US trade association for leading retailers. We convene decision-makers, advocate for the industry, and promote operational excellence and innovation. Our aim is to elevate a dynamic industry by transforming the environment in which retailers operate.

RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $2.7 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs, and hundreds of thousands of stores, manufacturing facilities, and distribution centers domestically and abroad.