Trump Signs Order Reducing Duties for Cheap Parcels From China

The latest change to de minimis duty rates resulted from the agreement between the United States and China to temporarily pause their trade measures.

A Hongkong Post employee stands at a service counter in a post office in Hong Kong on April 16, 2025. Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on May 12 to reduce the tariff on low-value parcels from China and Hong Kong, following an agreement reached between the United States and China to cut reciprocal tariffs for 90 days.

The order states that “de minimis” shipments—or parcels valued below $800—from China and Hong Kong will see their duty rate reduced from 120 percent to 54 percent, starting May 14. The United States will retain a flat fee of $100 per postal item, according to the order.