What’s the De Minimis Tariff Loophole Trump Closed?: QuickTake

A Latin term that used to be little-known outside the world of customs brokers has become the stuff of headlines this year. That’s thanks to a decision by US President Donald Trump to close a tariff loophole for “de minimis” merchandise.

The phrase — which loosely translates as “too small to matter” — refers to small packages that are shipped directly to consumers from abroad. Qualifying as de minimis has come with a huge perk: no customs declarations and no tariffs. While each de minimis package tends to be small, they’ve been shipped in massive quantities to the US by ...