United States of America: President signed Executive Order on amendment to reciprocal tariffs and updated duties as applied to low-value imports from the People’s Republic of China

On 8 April 2025, the President signed the Executive Order on the amendment to reciprocal tariffs and updated duties as applied to low-value imports from the People’s Republic of China. The order establishes measures regarding the de minimis tariff increase. The order introduces an increase in tariffs to prevent circumvention of earlier measures and to uphold the objectives of Executive Orders 14256 and 14257. Specifically, the ad valorem duty rate is raised from 30 per cent to 90 per cent. The per-item duty for postal shipments is also increased in two stages: from 25 to 75 dollars for the period between May 2 and May 31, 2025, and from 50 to 150 dollars starting June 1, 2025. The order requires relevant federal officials and agencies, including the Secretaries of Commerce, Homeland Security, and others, to take all necessary steps to implement the order in line with existing law. This includes the possibility of suspending or amending regulations and making use of presidential powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Furthermore, the order clarifies that it does not alter any existing legal authority of federal entities or the functions of the Office of Management and Budget.