USTR Extends Certain Exclusions from China Section 301 Tariffs - US International Trade Commission
WASHINGTON – Today (8/28/25), the Office of the United States Trade Representative announced the extension of exclusions in the Section 301 Investigation of China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation. The exclusions were previously scheduled to expire on August 31, 2025. The exclusions have been extended through November 29, 2025.
The Federal Register notice can be viewed here.
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CBP Ready to Enforce End of de Minimis Loophold, Securing Borders and Strengthening Trade Enforcement - USCBP
WASHINGTON — Today (8/29/25), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) began enforcing President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order ending the de minimis loophole. This decisive action shuts down a pathway long exploited by criminals to move fentanyl, counterfeit goods, and unvetted imports into the United States without duties.
“CBP is ready to enforce,” said Rodney Scott, Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “For too long, this loophole handed criminal networks a free pass to flood America with fentanyl, fake goods, and illegal shipments. Those days are over. We are securing the border, restoring fairness to trade, and protecting American families.”
Advance Warning and Global Readiness
Ending the de minimis loophole follows months of public notice and preparation. In April, President Trump announced the suspension of de minimis for China and Hong Kong, effective May 2, and he unequivocally indicated that he would suspend de minimis globally once the Secretary of Commerce informed him that adequate systems were in place for worldwide enforcement. In July, after being informed that adequate systems were in place, the president ordered the suspension of de minimis globally, effective August 29.
Key Milestones:
• April 2: Executive Orders 14256 and 14257 directed the suspension of de minimis for China/Hong Kong and clearly signaled that the suspension would soon apply globally.
• July 30: Executive Order 14324 confirmed systems were ready for worldwide enforcement and directed the suspension of de minimis globally, effective August 29.
• August 15: CBP issued detailed guidance to foreign posts, carriers, and third-party brokers on how to comply with the new requirements for international mail.
• August 21, 26 & 28: CBP issued additional guidance on how foreign postal operators could leverage qualified third parties to collect and pay duties on international mail.
• August 22: CBP published answers to frequently asked questions about the upcoming changes on the CBP website.
Ninety-five percent of all de minimis shipments are handled by either general cargo carriers or express shippers such as FedEx, UPS, and DHL. Industry has already adapted to the changes with minimal interruption. Postal operators, including Royal Mail, have resumed shipments after brief system updates, proving the process works.
“This change has been months in the making, and we are fully prepared to implement it,” said Susan S. Thomas, Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner for CBP’s Office of Trade. “Foreign carriers and postal operators were given clear timelines, detailed guidance, and multiple options to comply. The only thing ending on August 29 is the pathway that has been used by criminals to exploit America’s borders.”
Closing a pipeline for criminal shipments
The de minimis loophole had grown into a global pipeline for illicit trade:
Shipments skyrocketed from 134 million in 2015 to 1.36 billion in 2024 — more than 4 million packages every day.
In FY 2024 alone, de minimis shipments accounted for:
• 98% of narcotics seizures by case count
• 97% of counterfeit goods seizures — totaling over 31 million fake items
• 77% of health and safety seizures, including weapons parts and fentanyl precursors
Investigators found fentanyl in international mail averaging over 90% purity, compared to less than 10% at the land border.
Protecting American consumers and businesses
Americans will continue receiving goods from overseas —now through secure, lawful channels:
• Personal letters, bona fide gifts under $100, and personal travel items under $200 remain unaffected under long-standing exemptions.
• When the de minimis loophole was ended for China and Hong Kong earlier this year, the industry adapted quickly with no disruption to legitimate shipments.
• Only 5% of de minimis shipments entered through the mail; the rest already moved through commercial carriers.
Delivering on the president’s promise
President Trump acted years ahead of the statutory repeal set for 2027 because American lives, workers, and businesses could not wait.
“With this action, we are putting secure, lawful trade first,” Thomas said. “The message is clear: America’s borders are not open to criminals or counterfeiters — and CBP is ready to enforce the law.”
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Federal Register Notices:
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Certain Quartz Surface Products From the Republic of Türkiye: Final Results of the Expedited First Sunset Review of the Antidumping Duty Order
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or Suspended Investigation; Advance Notification of Sunset Review
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or Suspended Investigation; Opportunity To Request Administrative Review and Join Annual Inquiry Service List
• Forged Steel Fluid End Blocks From Italy: Final Results of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2023; Correction
• Sales at Less Than Fair Value; Determinations, Investigations, etc.: Temporary Steel Fencing From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value, Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Critical Circumstances, in Part, Postponement of Final Determination and Extension of Provisional Measures; Correction
• Investigations; Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar From Mexico and Turkey; Institution of Five-Year Reviews
• Kitchen Appliance Shelving and Racks From China; Institution of a Five-Year Review
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Certain Hot-Rolled Steel Flat Products From the Netherlands: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2023-2024
• Oleoresin Paprika From India: Postponement of Preliminary Determination in the Countervailing Duty Investigation
• Investigations; Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Certain Artificial Eyelash Extension Systems, Products, and Components Thereof; Notice of Commission Determination To Grant a Joint Motion To Terminate the Investigation
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Small Diameter Graphite Electrodes From the People's Republic of China: Continuation of Antidumping Duty Order
• Stilbenic Optical Brightening Agents From Taiwan: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2023-2024
• Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar From Mexico: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2022-2023
• Certain Pasta From Italy: Preliminary Results and Rescission, in Part, of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2023-2024
• Investigations; Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Certain Hydrodermabrasion Systems and Components Thereof; Notice of Request for Submission on the Public Interest
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Narrow Woven Ribbons With Woven Selvedge From Taiwan: Preliminary Results and Rescission, in Part, of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2023-2024
• Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods From Mexico: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2022-2023
• Investigations; Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules From India, Indonesia, and Laos; Determination
• Multifunctional Acrylate and Methacrylate Monomers and Oligomers (MAMMOs) From South Korea and Taiwan; Scheduling of the Final Phase of Countervailing Duty and Antidumping Duty Investigations
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This National Preparedness Month, make a plan for your business - Federal Trade Commission
How will your business operate if important systems are down due to a natural disaster or weather emergency? Do you have backup files of critical data? And do your communications, IT, and operations staff know what to do during an emergency?
September is National Preparedness Month. Whether you run a small retail store, nonprofit, or a company with many locations, it’s a good time to plan ahead to minimize damage to your business if a natural disaster strikes.
Scammers love a crisis and often target people and businesses during and after disasters to try to steal their money and personal or business information. The FTC has tools and information to help you avoid fraud as you prepare for and recover from an emergency.
Here are a few points to consider as you’re making or updating your business’s emergency plan.
• Protect your staff, come rain or shine. Sharing preparedness information with your employees can help keep them safe during an emergency. Dealing with Weather Emergencies is a one-stop shop that covers emergency preparedness, financial recovery, and scam-spotting. It also includes links to resources from other government agencies.
• Back up your data. How would your business respond if a weather emergency destroyed essential paperwork or damaged devices? Work with your IT staff to ensure you’re taking a secure approach to backing up important records.
• Alert people in your community about the risks of disaster-related fraud. Take advantage of your standing in the business community – and your social media network – to alert people about disaster-related frauds. Dealing with Weather Emergencies features social media shareables to help amplify your voice.
• Order free FTC print publications like Scams and Your Small Business at ftc.gov/bulkorder and have them available for employees, customers, or to distribute in your community. All FTC publications are free to order and there are no charges for shipping.
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FTC Data Show a More Than Four-Fold Increase in Reports of Impersonation Scammers Stealing Tens and Even Hundreds of Thousands from Older Adults - Federal Trade Commission
In 2024, adults 60 and over reported losing millions to scammers pretending to be from trusted government agencies, businesses
New analysis from the Federal Trade Commission shows a more than four-fold increase since 2020 in reports from older adults who say they lost $10,000 or more—sometimes their entire life savings—to scammers who impersonate trusted government agencies or businesses to convince consumers to transfer money to protect it, when in reality the scammers want to steal it.
The FTC’s latest Consumer Protection Data Spotlight shows a huge jump in losses reported by people 60 and over to these types of impersonation scams in the last four years. Most notably, combined losses reported by older adults who lost more than $100,000 increased eight-fold, from $55 million in 2020 to $445 million in 2024. While younger consumers also have reported these scams, older adults were much more likely to report these extraordinarily high losses.
The scams generally involve someone contacting consumers to alert them to a fake and urgent problem and then proceeding to try to persuade them to transfer their money to “keep it safe” or for some other false reason. In reality, the money is being sent to the scammers.
The lies these scammers tell generally take three forms:
• Lie #1: Someone is using your accounts: The scammers claim to be from your bank or a well-known company like Amazon and are contacting you to flag suspicious activity on your account;
• Lie #2: Your information is being used to commit crimes: Scammers claim to be a government officer warning that your Social Security number or some other information is being used to commit a crime such as drug smuggling or money laundering; or
• Lie #3: There’s a security problem with your computer: These scams often start with a fake on-screen security alert that looks like it’s from Microsoft or Apple with a number to call. If you call, they say your online accounts have been hacked.
Ironically, some scammers even pretend to be with the FTC and tell people to transfer money out of their accounts, deposit cash into Bitcoin ATMS, and even hand off stacks of cash or gold to couriers—actions the FTC would never ask people to do. Regardless of the fake story, the goal is generally the same: to get your money. To avoid such scams, the FTC recommends:
• Don’t move money to “protect it.” Never transfer or send money to anyone, no matter who they say they are, in response to an unexpected call or message.
• Hang up and verify. If you are contacted by someone claiming to be from a government agency or business, contact the company or agency using a phone number or website you know is real. Don’t trust the phone number or name they provide.
• Block unwanted calls. Learn about call blocking options to stop many of these scammers before they reach you.
The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and protect and educate consumers. The FTC will never demand money, make threats, tell you to transfer money, or promise you a prize. Learn more about consumer topics at consumer.ftc.gov, or report fraud, scams, and bad business practices at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Follow the FTC on social media, read consumer alerts and the business blog, and sign up to get the latest FTC news and alerts.
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Consumer Safety Alert: CPSC Issues Urgent Safety Warning to Labubu Collectors - Consumer Product Safety Commission
Name of Product: Lookalike Labubu dolls
Hazard: These fakes, sold both as plush figures and plush keychains, are small enough for a child to fit the doll in their mouth and block their airway. CPSC has also received reports of fake Labubu dolls that break apart easily, releasing small pieces that can become choking hazards.
Consumer Action: CPSC is warning consumers not to buy these knockoff products and to stop using them immediately.
Product Safety Warning Date: August 18, 2025
Description:
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is issuing an urgent warning to consumers about fake Labubu plush dolls, sometimes referred to as “Lafufu,” that pose a serious risk of choking and death to young children.
These fakes, sold both as plush figures and plush keychains, are small enough for a child to fit the doll in their mouth and block their airway. CPSC has also received reports of fake Labubu dolls that break apart easily, releasing small pieces that can become choking hazards. Accordingly, CPSC is warning consumers not to buy these knockoff products and to stop using them immediately.
CPSC investigators have identified multiple shipments of these lookalikes attempting U.S. entry from China and requested seizure of thousands of units after confirming violation of federal regulations for toys with small parts.
“These fake Labubu dolls are dangerous, illegal, and have no place in American homes,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman. “No parent should have to wonder if a toy will stop their child from breathing. Protect your children and buy only from reputable sellers."
Federal law prohibits the importation and sale of consumer products that fail to meet CPSC safety standards. CPSC will continue aggressive enforcement at U.S. ports to block dangerous imports before they reach American families. In addition, CPSC is urging consumers to remain vigilant with the following tips:
How to Spot a Fake and Stay Safe
• Beware of bargains — deep discounts can signal fake products.
• Authentic Pop Mart Labubu dolls feature a holographic Pop Mart sticker, a scannable QR code linking to the official Pop Mart site, and (on newer editions) a subtle UV stamp on one foot.
• Fakes often have overly bright colors or the wrong number of teeth (authentic dolls have nine).
• Know your seller — purchase only from trusted stores or online marketplaces.
• Check safety labeling — for toys with small parts, look for choking hazard warnings and independent safety certification marks.
A similar warning was issued by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute in the United Kingdom.
Report any incidents involving injury or product defect to CPSC at www.SaferProducts.gov.