CBP has processed nearly 24 million parcels that would have been duty-free since US ended de minimis exemption

By Lisa Baertlein

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -U.S. Customs and Border Protection has processed nearly 24 million packages that would have received duty-free treatment since President Donald Trump ended the de minimis exemption on August 29, an agency spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Nearly 1.4 billion packages entered U.S. under the de minimis exemption for packages valued below $800 in 2024, according to CBP data.

Data from the U.N.’s Universal Postal Union showed that on August 29, total postal shipments to the U.S. had fallen 81%.

That led to severe disruptions in global mail shipment to U.S. shoppers and small businesses. Large delivery firms like United Parcel Service and FedEx also felt the crunch after formerly booming direct-to-consumer e-commerce shipments from Chinese e-commerce firms Shein and Temu dropped.

(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles)