Congressman John Moolenaar Chairman of the Select Committee on the CCP | Official Website
WASHINGTON D.C. - Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) released a statement today following the Biden Administration's decision to reduce the number of packages entering the United States via the de minimis exemption. The new measure prohibits packages from receiving the exemption if they are also subject to Section 201 or 301 tariffs. The de minimis exemption allows packages with a retail value of $800 or less to enter the United States without being subject to duties or taxes and with limited information provided to authorities.
"Over a billion de minimis shipments have entered the United States this fiscal year, overwhelming CBP’s capacity to identify and intercept high-risk shipments, including fentanyl and other narcotics, dangerous merchandise, counterfeits, and products made with forced labor," said Moolenaar. "This flood of shipments, paired with insufficient data, has severely hampered enforcement efforts. The administration’s action today is a critical step toward gathering the information necessary to target illegal shipments and level the playing field for U.S. retailers."
Moolenaar further commented on an investigation by the Select Committee into Shein and Temu: "As the Select Committee's investigation into Shein and Temu revealed, the majority of products from Shein and Temu fall under the de minimis exception. This allows them to dodge U.S. Customs and evade the scrutiny other retailers face. The U.S. must urgently curb these shipments and force these companies to correct their anemic compliance practices."
He emphasized that last year's bipartisan report by the Select Committee called for action on this issue to reset economic competition with China: "Today’s positive actions draw on efforts by Republicans on Ways and Means to address challenges in de minimis. Now, Congress must urgently make de minimis reform law."
