President Donald Trump has just decided to end what is referred to as the "de minimis" rule regarding imports. 

The Daily Caller reports that Trump ended the practice on Friday.

The move, as we will see, is expected to be an economic boost for America. It is also expected to save lives.

.@POTUS’ bold action to end the de minimis loophole stops Communist China from undermining our industries by evading tariffs, ultimately protecting our economy and putting Americans first. Thank you, President Trump! https://t.co/sQVhFNYMQF

— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) August 29, 2025

The details

The de minimis trade exemption will come to an end on 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 29.

The Hill reports:

Starting Friday, all shipments, including those worth less than $800, are subject to duties, taxes and fees. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued guidance related to the order earlier this month.

The outlet goes on to explain how the new system will work.

It writes:

Shipments coming through commercial carriers, which represent about 95 percent of de minimis parcels, will need to have informal or formal entry designation documents and pay the relevant tariff. Shipments coming from international mail carriers have the option of choosing an ad valorem tax rate, which is the effective tariff rate imposed under the emergency economic powers law used by Trump to deliver his initial “reciprocal” tariffs. The tax is then based on the value of that package.

There is one other option in which "International mail shippers can also notify CBP that they are choosing a 'specific duty' for their package ranging from $80 per item to $200 per item." This option, however, is only availabe for six months.

It will "save lives"

The Trump administration has put out a statement on the matter.

Peter Navarro, Trump administration trade adviser, spoke of some of the benefits expected to come from the end of the de minimis loophole. He said:

President Trump’s ending the de minimis loophole will save thousands of American lives by restricting the flow of narcotics and other dangerous and prohibited items, add up to $10 billion a year in tariff revenues to our Treasury, create thousands of jobs and defend against billions of dollars lost to counterfeiting, piracy and intellectual property theft.

Navarro went on to urge foreign post offices "to get their act together."

He continued:

Foreign post offices need to get their act together when it comes to monitoring and policing the use of international mail for smuggling and tariff evasion purposes,” Navarro added. “We are going to help them do that, but at this point, they are vastly underperforming express carriers like FedEx, DHL and UPS. In an age of AI, information saves lives.

The de minimis exemption has been in place since 1938. It was changed numerous times over the years, most recently in 2016, when the threshold was set at $800 or less.