Trade Court Upholds Trumps Shutdown of $800 De Minimis Duty Exemption

The U.S. Court of International Trade in lower Manhattan, N.Y., on May 29, 2025. Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesThe U.S. Court of International Trade on Aug. 13 upheld the Trump administration’s authority to end the de minimis exemption that allowed Americans to avoid paying duty on packages worth $800 or less.The court held in a new order that President Donald Trump had legal authority to close the exemption, which he previously said was a legal loophole that benefited foreign vendors and criminals. A company had sued over the administration’s policy, claiming the president didn’t have the power to end the exemption.Trump celebrated the court victory in a Truth Social post.The exemption is “one of the most DESPICABLE loopholes in American trade policy” that has been exploited by “Fentanyl Traffickers, Counterfeiters, and other Criminals shipping dangerous and illegal products into America,” he said.This is a developing story and will be updated.