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US House Lawmakers Again Introduce Legislation For Low-Value Package Entry

• By  Textile Excellence
• February 15, 2026

Newly introduced legislation aims to provide a new channel for low-value shipments to enter the United States duty free, mimicking elements of the de minimis provision that was terminated for commercial shipments last year.

Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-W.V.) and Congressman Don Beyer (D-Va.) authored the Secure Revenue Clearance Channel Act, which they said will address a "growing backlog" of imports at America's ports of entry by facilitating streamlined cooperation between express carriers and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

According to the lawmakers, the bill would allow shipments valued at US$ 600 or less to move more quickly through the importation and customs process. Under the proposed legislation, importers that rely on select express shippers would be responsible for tariffs worth a maximum of 20% of the value of the shipment in question. These parcels would be exempted from the customs reporting requirements that larger shipments face.

"Shipments have recently faced significant backlogs at our ports of entry. This bill creates a critical mechanism to help small businesses, manufacturers, and hardworking Americans by allowing express shippers to move goods more efficiently through the system, while also cutting unnecessary penalties and fees that slow commerce and raise costs," Rep. Miller said.

"I am committed to supporting our supply chains while ensuring shipments enter our country securely and responsibly, with strong safeguards in place to keep dangerous and illicit products far from our communities," she added.

Beyer spoke to the impact that the termination of de minimis has had on the American economy.

"In recent months, American consumers and small businesses have suffered as their goods, particularly lower cost but still time-sensitive items, have been held up waiting to be cleared by Customs. The expedited shipping channel this bill creates would help resolve this growing problem while also maintaining a high level of security at our ports of entry to keep out drugs, counterfeits, and other illicit products," he said.

The Trump administration ended the longstanding rule-which allowed small shipments worth $800 or less to enter the country duty free-under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the same law used to impose double-digit tariffs on more than 90 U.S. trading partners.

Critics of de minimis also pointed to the deluge of cheaply-made, China-originating products from e-commerce juggernauts like Shein, Temu and AliExpress using what they deemed a "loophole" in trade policy. De minimis parcels are subject to much less stringent processing by CBP, and many US brands believe they have been undermined by offshore players. In 2024, 1.4 billion packages entered the US using de minimis, and experts estimate that at least half, if not more, originated in China.

CBP said in December that it had collected US$ 1 billion in tariff revenue on low-value packages since the exemption was rolled back on August 29, 2025.

Calling the proposal "damaging," National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) CEO and president Kim Glas said its passage "would provide a workaround to President Trump's executive order closing the dangerous de minimis loophole," which Congress passed legislation to codify.

"This legislative proposal would replicate the underlying problem with de minimis and it would require less information than normal entries-making it impossible to enforce and rewarding these packages skirting normal duty collections and costs," Glas said. "With the end of de minimis, low-value shipments must come in under a system that is fair, transparent, and enforceable. CBP is equipped to handle this change and has the systems in place. Now, all small package shipments regardless of delivery method have the necessary inspection, information, and duty collection."

According to the lawmakers, the bill would allow shipments valued at US$ 600 or less to move more quickly through the importation and customs process. Under the proposed legislation, importers that rely on select express shippers would be responsible for tariffs worth a maximum of 20% of the value of the shipment in question. These parcels would be exempted from the customs reporting requirements that larger shipments face.