U.S. will close door Friday on long-standing trade convenience: The de minimis exemption

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By: Sylvain Charlebois

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The United States recently closed the door on a long-standing trade convenience: the de minimis exemption. For decades, this rule allowed small shipments valued at US$800 or less to cross the border duty-free, bypassing the cumbersome customs procedures that normally apply to imports.

For Canadian food producers — especially the small and mid-size ones — the implications are significant. While the headlines have focused on tariffs on steel, cars or lumber, this quieter policy change risks undermining a vibrant ecosystem of specialty and artisanal foods that have found eager consumers south of the border.

The exemption was never about giant grain shipments or truckloads of beef. Those flows already move through established commercial channels, covered by........

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