The United States has abolished duty-free tariffs for parcels worth up to $800, known as the de minimis exemption. This benefit had been in place since 1938 and was raised from $200 to $800 in 2015 to boost small businesses on online marketplaces, Reuters reports.
A six-month transition period will follow, during which postal services may opt to pay a fixed duty of $80 to $200 per parcel, depending on the country of origin.
During Donald Trump’s first term, tariffs on Chinese goods were raised, leading to a surge in direct shipments from China that fueled the growth of retailers like Shein and Temu. Many of these parcels entered without inspection.
The number of shipments claiming de minimis exemption jumped nearly tenfold — from 139 million in the 2015 fiscal year to 1.36 billion in 2024.
Officially, the repeal is tied to efforts to combat illegal drug imports and to protect U.S. retailers.
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told reporters that closing the de minimis loophole would “save thousands of American lives by limiting drug inflows and add up to $10 billion a year to the federal budget in customs revenue.”
The repeal has complicated logistics: postal operators in Australia, the UK, Germany, Japan, and others have suspended shipments to the U.S. while adapting to the new rules.
Ukrainian carriers Ukrposhta and Nova Poshta continue to deliver to the U.S., but their services have become more expensive.
Global meat and vegetable oil prices hit multi-year highs in August 2025, while grain and dairy products became cheaper, according to data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) stood at 130.1 points in August, nearly unchanged from the revised July level of 130.0 points. Falling grain and […]
In the first half of 2025, global premium smartphone sales rose 8% year-on-year, setting a record for this period, according to analytics firm Counterpoint Research. In comparison, the overall smartphone market grew by just 4%. The trend of “premiumization” is evident worldwide: consumers are increasingly upgrading to higher-priced models for better experiences and due to […]
In August 2025, Kazakhstan delivered 190,000 tons of oil to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline system, an 18.7% increase compared to July, KazTransOil reported. “In August, KazTransOil JSC transferred 190,000 tons of Kazakh oil into the Transneft trunk pipeline system through the Adamova Zastava delivery point for further supply to Germany,” the company said in […]
The State Tax Service of Ukraine reduced the number of on-site inspections in August by almost one-third compared to July, following the introduction of a moratorium, Acting Head of the STS Lesia Karnaukh wrote on Facebook. According to her, in July just over 3,600 on-site inspections were conducted, while in August the figure dropped to […]
Chinese company China Concord Resources Corp (CCRC) has begun developing two oil fields in Venezuela. According to a company representative, the investment will exceed $1 billion, Reuters reported. By the end of 2026, production is expected to reach 60,000 barrels of oil per day. This marks a rare case of investment by a private Chinese […]
Chinese authorities have stepped up calls for investors to declare profits from overseas operations, tightening pressure on wealthy citizens in an effort to boost fiscal revenues amid economic headwinds, the Financial Times reports. Tax agencies in Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Shandong have this year published notices on their websites requiring income declarations, while also phoning and […]
Donald Trump’s administration is in talks with Intel about a possible purchase of a stake in the company by the U.S. government, Bloomberg reports, citing sources familiar with the plan. Such a move could help advance the long-delayed project to build the world’s largest microchip manufacturing hub in Ohio, which has been repeatedly postponed due […]
The Deposit Guarantee Fund of individuals introduced a temporary administration in “Fidobank”. It is reported by the press service of the Fund. The decision was made on the base of the decision of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) on May 20 to classify “Fidobank” to the category of the insolvent. Earlier, “Fidobank” reported about […]
Next
Shares of Johnson & Johnson, which rose till 1.44% over the past week, on Tuesday closed with a decrease of 2.3%, despite on the publication of a better-than-expected Wall Street experts, a report for 3 fin. quarter. Investors are concerned about the potential consequences of ending the large-scale study of the J&J vaccine against COVID-19, […]
Next
The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMC) fined the producer of soft drinks “Etrus” Ltd. for 145 thousand UAH for the dissemination of misleading information about their products. “Etrus” Ltd. gave inaccurate information on consumptive qualities of these drinks because of their method of presentation on the labels of products: Fruttela Orange, Fruttela Citrus and Fruttela […]
Next
Chinese e-commerce company JD.com Inc announced on Saturday that it will be the first platform in the country to accept China’s digital currency. The Central Bank of China will hold its second digital yuan lottery among citizens of Suzhou, near Shanghai on Friday. The total amount of playable digital yuan is 20 million ($ 3.06 […]
Next
The American pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb announced that it will buy biotech MyoKardia for $ 13.1 billion. Quotes of the MyoKardia at the previous trading increased by 59%. Bristol will pay $ 225 for each share of the MyoKardia, corresponding to 61% premium to the value of the company’s securities at the close of trading […]
Next
The State Tax Service of Ukraine reduced the number of on-site inspections in August by almost one-third compared to July, following the introduction of a moratorium, Acting Head of the STS Lesia Karnaukh wrote on Facebook. According to her, in July just over 3,600 on-site inspections were conducted, while in August the figure dropped to […]
Next
The introduction of state regulation of oil prices for gas stations will lead to an increase in illegal production and fuel shortages. Some experts and representatives of the relevant association stated this. “The initiative of the Ministry of Economy and Agriculture of Ukraine to introduce state regulation of oil prices at gas stations will deal […]
Next
Since April of this year, Japanese companies and organizations involved in the development of the vaccines that protect against coronavirus infection, periodically experience cyber-attacks. This was announced on Monday, October 19, by Kyodo news agency, with the reference to the experts of the American company CrowdStrike, engaged in the cybersecurity. According to experts of the […]
Next
In the first six months of 2025, Ukraine exported goods worth $20.0 billion, down 4.2% compared to the same period last year. Imports amounted to $38.6 billion, according to the State Statistics Service. “In the first half of 2025, goods exports totaled $20,044.9 million, or 95.8% compared to the first half of 2024, while imports […]
Next
From December 21, 2018, to February 15, 2019, application acceptance for participation in the Ukrainian School of Political Studies in 2019 continues. From December 21, 2018, to February 15, 2019, application acceptance for participation in the Ukrainian School of Political Studies in 2019 continues – one of the most successful educational network projects in Ukraine, […]
Next
Kodak’s shares fell by 42.87% to $ 8.50 per share at the opening of trading of US, after which paper trading was temporarily suspended. According to the New York Stock Exchange, the decline in shares slowed to 33%. Quotes fell after the announcement of the termination of the loan agreement for Kodak for $ 765 […]
Next
Wizz Air will start operating regular flights between Kiev and Abu Dhabi from July 1, 2021. This was announced on Monday, May 10, CTS with reference to the information published by the carrier. It is specified that flights from Ukraine will be carried out from the airport in Borispol. “Flights will be operated three times […]
Next
The National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine has introduced a moratorium on inspections of businesses by state authorities. This was announced by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. According to him, the moratorium provides the necessary foundation for “the full implementation of essential decisions aimed at economic security and the analysis of relevant […]
Next
The subject of raiding remains urgent and at the same time very painful for Ukraine, especially for foreign investors. It isn’t accepted to speak about it openly. The victims of similar captures in rare instances make public the fact of their entities occupation. Syutkin & Partners Law Firm together with USUBC, the Ministry of Justice […]
Next
The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has disclosed the company in Rivne region, which was trying to assign means of “Agrarian Fund”, PJSC, said the SSU press-center. According to the report, “Agrarian Fund”, PJSC has concluded the exchange transaction with a private company for the supply of 16 thousand tonnes of wheat worth over 67 […]
Next
Reuters reported, In Switzerland, the procedure of accelerated testing of Moderna vaccine has started. This will allow to approve the drug if it passes all clinical trials. “Swissmedic can get an initial idea of the benefits and risks of vaccine candidates before the study is completed. This speeds up the review process and at the […]
Next
