This Friday, a big change is coming for the more than 4 million inexpensive packages that enter the US daily from abroad: President Donald Trump is ending the de minimis exemption, a loophole that has allowed cheap goods to pass through customs tariff-free for nearly 90 years.

It’s a blow to millions of online shoppers, small businesses on platforms like Etsy and postal services worldwide — many of which have already paused small-package shipments to the US.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Laura Curtis joins host Sarah Holder to break down the demise of de minimis: Why ending the carve-out for goods deemed too small to matter is actually a big deal for consumers — and what happens next. 

Read More: Mail Carriers Pause US Deliveries as Tariff Shift Sows Confusion

This Friday, a big change is coming for the more than 4 million inexpensive packages that enter the US daily from abroad: President Donald Trump is ending the de minimis exemption, a loophole that has allowed cheap goods to pass through customs tariff-free for nearly 90 years.
It&rsquo;s a blow to millions of online shoppers, small businesses on platforms like Etsy and postal services worldwide &mdash; many of which have already paused small-package shipments to the US.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg&rsquo;s Laura Curtis joins host Sarah Holder to break down the demise of de minimis: Why ending the carve-out for goods deemed too small to matter is actually a big deal for consumers &mdash; and what happens next.&nbsp;
Read More: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-21/global-mail-services-halt-us-deliveries-ahead-of-de-minimis-end?srnd=undefined">Mail Carriers Pause US Deliveries as Tariff Shift Sows Confusion</a>

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

Big Take

What the End of the De Minimus Trade Loophole Means for Your Shopping

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/23a21a66-8300-4cc2-a880-b34401661279/transcript

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