Small Package Trade Loophole Expires on May 2
The tax on goods from China will hit 125%, while all other “reciprocal” tariffs are paused at 10%.

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Updated April 22
The “de minimis” exemption, a trade loophole that’s currently excluding Chinese businesses from paying tariffs on low-value packages imported to the U.S., will end on May 2.
All packages from Hong Kong and China worth $800 or less that would otherwise qualify for the exemption will be subject to a tax of 30% of their value or $25 per item. Beginning June 1, the duty rate increases to $50 per item.
Congress enacted the de minimis exemption in 1938 to ease foreign trade inefficiencies. It was later expanded in the 1990s to ease cost burdens for businesses and consumers.
Shein and Temu, two popular low cost e-commerce retailers based in China, have already said they’ll raise prices as of April 25 in response to tariffs.
The effective tariff rate is now the highest in 100 years
The Budget Lab at Yale University calculates that the average effective U.S. tariff rate is at its highest level since 1903.
The average effective tariff rate measures the average tax rate on imported goods, weighted by the amount of goods actually imported. It shows what consumers and businesses will pay due to tariffs.
The Budget Lab analysis, published on April 10, examined the immediate impact of tariffs before any consumer or business adjustments, and found that the new tariffs would raise the average effective tariff rate by 24.6 percentage points to 27%.
Trump announces 10% baseline tariff, higher for some countries
On April 2, Trump announced new “reciprocal” tariffs on imports from all trading partners. The baseline across-the-board tariff is 10%, but certain trading partners will see higher rates. The 10% across-the-board tariff on all imports will go into effect after midnight on April 5. Additional targeted tariffs on specific trade partners will go into effect after midnight on April 9.
In a speech from the White House Rose Garden on April 9, Trump said the tariffs would be reciprocal on all countries. “Reciprocal, that means they do it to us, and we do it to them,” he said. “Very simple. Can’t get any simpler than that.”
It’s unclear how the additional tariff amounts were calculated, but Trump says they are based on the existing tariffs on U.S. imports. Retaliatory tariffs are expected from major trading partners.
The reciprocal tariffs will be added to existing tariffs on trading partners so China, for example, will face a 54% tariff as of April 9. But the tariffs won’t be applied to existing taxes on targeted goods and services such as energy, steel, aluminum and automobiles.
China announced on Friday that it would match President Donald Trump’s latest escalation in tariffs and impose an additional 34% levy on U.S. goods. In a statement announcing the hike, Chinese officials blasted U.S. trade actions as “unilateral bullying.” No additional tariffs on Mexico and Canada were announced; as of April 9 all products imported from Mexico and Canada face a 25% tax with an exemption for goods included in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
In his speech, Trump said the reciprocal tariffs will bring about a “golden age” for manufacturing in the U.S. He also claimed that the policies would create “trillions and trillions of dollars to reduce our taxes and pay down our national debt.”
Trump’s 25% tariff on all automobile imports went into effect after midnight on April 3. Before May 3, another 25% tariff will begin on imported auto parts. The Yale Budget Lab estimates that new car prices could increase by 13.5% on average for Americans, or about $6,400.
On Sunday, Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press,” that he “couldn’t care less if they raise prices, because people are going to start buying American-made cars.”
A Yale Budget Lab analysis of the U.S. tariffs enacted in 2025 through April 2 says that the effective U.S. tariff rate is now 22.5%, which is the highest rate since 1909, according to the report. The effective tariff rate is the average tax on imports. In other words, for every $100 of goods, $22.50 will be collected in tariffs. Businesses that must pay import fees typically pass those costs onto the purchaser, be it another business or a consumer.
Some of the goods most likely to see price increases include:
Clothing and textiles: +17%
All food: +2.8%
Motor vehicles: +8.4%
What tariffs are now in effect?
April 9: 145% total reciprocal tariff for China with exemptions. See the section on exemptions for more details.
April 9: 10% across-the-board reciprocal tariffs on all foreign imports. Additional tariffs on individual countries are delayed until July 9.
April 3: 25% tariff on all automobile imports.
March 12: 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports.
March 4: 25% tariffs on some goods from Canada and Mexico; certain goods that are included in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) are exempt.
March 3: 10% additional tariff on China.
Feb. 4: 10% tariff on China.
Upcoming tariffs:
Before May 3: 25% tariff on auto parts imports.
July 9: Pause lifts for the additional tariffs on foreign countries first announced on April 2.
July 14: 21% tariff on tomatoes from Mexico.
Trump’s tariff exemptions
The Trump Administration is exempting certain products from its reciprocal tariff policies. Some of the products are already subject to a tariff or may be taxed in the future. Here’s how that breaks down:
Products with their own separate tariffs:
Steel and aluminum face their own 25% tariffs.
Automobiles, which face their own 25% tariffs.
Products that the White House is reportedly planning to target for future tariffs
Auto parts, which are expected to be taxed at 25% sometime before May 3.
Copper.
Pharmaceuticals.
Semiconductors.
Lumber.
Products entirely excluded from tariffs:
Any items and services included under the USMCA trade agreement.
Energy, including oil.
Other certain minerals not available in the U.S. The White House did not specify what this means.
Bullion, including gold.
Smartphones, computers, flat panel TVs, semiconductors, LED devices and other electronics.
The full list of exempted products is available here.
Previous tariff news
(Photo by Pierre Crom/Getty Images for Getty News Images)