Biden to Congress: Fix De Minimis

President Biden called on Congress to pass legislation closing the so-called de minimis loophole that allows small value packages to be imported into the United States tariff free – and primarily without screening by Customs and Border Protection.

The President released a new plan last week aimed at cracking down on fentanyl and its precursor chemicals from entering the US market.

But the plan leaves it up to Congress to deal with the $800 de minimis threshold for customs, which many believe is being used by China to ship opioids into the US market.

A number of bills have been introduced in the House and Senate to address the de minimis problem, but none have advanced.

The Presidential memorandum does not directly refer to de minimis, instead offering vague language on “loopholes” that Congress needs to address.

“I’m calling on Congress to do their part – including passing the Biden-Harris Administration’s Detect and Defeat proposals,” President Biden said. “These bipartisan proposals increase penalties on drug smugglers, give border officials key tools they need to target fentanyl at our border, and close other loopholes that traffickers exploit.”