End China’s De Minimis Abuse Act

12/27/2024, 10:38 AM

End China’s De Minimis Abuse Act

This bill prohibits certain U.S. imports from receiving de minimis treatment and establishes related civil penalties. (Current law allows for imports under a de minimis threshold to enter the United States free of tariffs and taxes with minimal inspection. In 2016, Congress raised this threshold from $200 to $800.)

The bill prohibits imports from receiving de minimis treatment if those imports are subject to specified trade remedies, including

  • antidumping and countervailing duty tariffs (Subtitle A or B of Title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930),
  • safeguard measures (Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974),
  • actions in response to unfair trade practices (Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974), or 
  • actions for national security purposes (Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962).

The bill requires imports from countries that are subject to trade restrictions under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, in order to receive de minimis treatment, to have a 10-digit classification of the import under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) that is provided to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (HTS sets out the tariff rates and statistical categories for all U.S. imports.)

The bill also establishes civil penalties for any person who enters, introduces, or attempts to introduce an import in violation of this bill.

Bill 118 hr 7979, also known as the End China’s De Minimis Abuse Act, is a piece of legislation introduced in the US Congress with the aim of addressing the abuse of de minimis thresholds by China. De minimis thresholds refer to the minimum value of goods that can be imported into a country without being subject to duties or taxes.

The bill seeks to combat China's exploitation of de minimis thresholds by requiring the US Customs and Border Protection agency to establish a process for determining whether a country is abusing these thresholds. If a country is found to be abusing de minimis thresholds, the bill authorizes the imposition of additional duties on goods imported from that country.

The End China’s De Minimis Abuse Act is seen as a response to China's unfair trade practices, which have been a source of contention between the US and China for many years. By targeting China's abuse of de minimis thresholds, the bill aims to level the playing field for American businesses and protect domestic industries from unfair competition. Overall, the End China’s De Minimis Abuse Act is a bipartisan effort to address a specific issue in US-China trade relations and protect American interests. It remains to be seen how the bill will progress through Congress and what impact it will have on US-China trade dynamics.
Congress
118
Number
HR - 7979
Introduced on
2024-04-15
# Amendments
0
Sponsors
+5
Cosponsors
+5

Variations and Revisions

4/15/2024
Text
PDF
XML

Status of Legislation

Bill Introduced
Introduced to House
House to Vote
Introduced to Senate
Senate to Vote

Purpose and Summary

End China’s De Minimis Abuse Act

This bill prohibits certain U.S. imports from receiving de minimis treatment and establishes related civil penalties. (Current law allows for imports under a de minimis threshold to enter the United States free of tariffs and taxes with minimal inspection. In 2016, Congress raised this threshold from $200 to $800.)

The bill prohibits imports from receiving de minimis treatment if those imports are subject to specified trade remedies, including

  • antidumping and countervailing duty tariffs (Subtitle A or B of Title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930),
  • safeguard measures (Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974),
  • actions in response to unfair trade practices (Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974), or 
  • actions for national security purposes (Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962).

The bill requires imports from countries that are subject to trade restrictions under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, in order to receive de minimis treatment, to have a 10-digit classification of the import under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) that is provided to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (HTS sets out the tariff rates and statistical categories for all U.S. imports.)

The bill also establishes civil penalties for any person who enters, introduces, or attempts to introduce an import in violation of this bill.

Bill 118 hr 7979, also known as the End China’s De Minimis Abuse Act, is a piece of legislation introduced in the US Congress with the aim of addressing the abuse of de minimis thresholds by China. De minimis thresholds refer to the minimum value of goods that can be imported into a country without being subject to duties or taxes.

The bill seeks to combat China's exploitation of de minimis thresholds by requiring the US Customs and Border Protection agency to establish a process for determining whether a country is abusing these thresholds. If a country is found to be abusing de minimis thresholds, the bill authorizes the imposition of additional duties on goods imported from that country.

The End China’s De Minimis Abuse Act is seen as a response to China's unfair trade practices, which have been a source of contention between the US and China for many years. By targeting China's abuse of de minimis thresholds, the bill aims to level the playing field for American businesses and protect domestic industries from unfair competition. Overall, the End China’s De Minimis Abuse Act is a bipartisan effort to address a specific issue in US-China trade relations and protect American interests. It remains to be seen how the bill will progress through Congress and what impact it will have on US-China trade dynamics.
Alternative Names
Official Title as IntroducedTo amend section 321 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to modify the administrative exemptions under that Act.
Policy Areas
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Potential Impact
Asia•
China•
Tariffs•
Trade restrictions

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Committee:  Ways and Means

Recent Activity

Latest Summary8/12/2024

End China’s De Minimis Abuse Act

This bill prohibits certain U.S. imports from receiving de minimis treatment and establishes related civil penalties. (Current law allows for imports under a de minimis...

Latest Action12/24/2024
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 797.