U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will maintain the de minimis exemption for U.S. imports from Mexico.

The de minimis clause allows goods to enter the United States duty-free when their value does not exceed $800. In addition, these packages receive a lesser inspection.

Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump reversed the decision to restrict China‘s access to this clause. Currently, Chinese online retailers continue to use this remedy aggressively.

De minimis

Information on the de minimis scheme was included in a CBP notice of tariffs scheduled to go into effect this Tuesday on imports to Mexican products.

According to the March 2, 2025 Executive Order, entitled “Amendment to Tariffs to Address the Situation at our Southern Border,” the administrative exemption from duties and certain taxes, known as the “de minimis” exemption, remains in effect for items included in heading 9903.01.01. This exemption applies to eligible products, including those shipped to the United States through the international postal network.

However, this exemption will cease to be available when the Secretary of Commerce informs the President that adequate systems are in place to efficiently process and collect duties on these articles.

Therefore, products from Mexico that qualify for the de minimis exemption and fall within heading 9903.01.01 may continue to benefit from this duty-free treatment. This will continue until the Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury, notifies the President and further instructions are issued.