United States of America: Announced Fighting illicit goods, helping trustworthy importers, and netting gains for America Act (FIGHTING for America Act of 2024)

On 8 August 2024, the Fighting illicit goods, helping trustworthy importers, and netting gains for America Act (FIGHTING for America Act of 2024) was announced by US Senate Committee on Finance. The Act applies to companies that allegedly exploit the "de minimis" entry process for low-value, direct-to-consumer imports. The Act would ban certain products, such as import-sensitive goods and items subject to trade remedies, from being imported through "de minimis" entry and require the CBP to collect additional data on shipments to better monitor unlawful imports. The Act also streamlines procedures for seizing and disposing of illegal goods, increases penalties for violations, and introduces a fee of USD 2 per shipment. As a justification for the Act’s introduction, the Senate Committee noted that the existing de minimis entry process permits packages under USD 800 to enter the US tariff-free and with “minimal scrutiny” and that the surge in package volumes from companies such as Shein and Temu has made it challenging for the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to intercept shipments containing illicit drugs, counterfeit items, forced labour products, and other illegal goods.