Laura Gottesdiener
Oct 29 (Reuters) – Prominent U.S. Democratic senators on Tuesday called on the Biden administration to crack down on a popular duty-free customs program after Reuters reporting revealed how drug traffickers use the streamlined entry system to sneak Chinese-made fentanyl chemicals into the country virtually unchecked.
In a letter addressed to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the lawmakers urged the agencies to use their statutory authority to prohibit e-commerce shipments from entering the U.S. under the so-called de minimis rule, which allows merchandise valued under $800 to come into the U.S. duty free, and with minimal paperwork and inspections. This customs channel is widely used by retailers and online shopping platforms to ship foreign-made goods directly to U.S. consumers.
