Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of (a) the removal of the de minimis exemption and (b) other changes to United States customs arrangements on UK individuals sending (i) personal goods and (ii) parcels to the United States; and what discussions he has had with his US counterparts on ensuring that (A) customs fees and (B) tariff requirements do not place a disproportionate burden on private individuals.

The Executive Order on de minimis is a US domestic policy initiative aimed at addressing longstanding US domestic concerns.

We understand the challenges associated with these changes and have published resources on business.gov.uk to support exporters. DBT has also launched the Business Academy’s “Gateway USA” series and expanded access to the Export Support Service and Business Growth Service.

Following removal of the de minimis threshold, the UK was able to immediately offer a postal solution, with Royal Mail implementing a system to ensure continuity of service to the US.

We continue to engage the US on its wider trade approach.