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S. 1185 · Where this bill is now

In committee

Introduced in the Senate, Mar 27, 2025

What this bill does

In plain words · AI-written from the official summary

Tightens rules on small duty-free shipments

Right now, shipments worth $800 or less can enter the U.S. without paying tariffs or taxes. This bill narrows that exemption by blocking it for certain goods—including items under trade protections, textiles and apparel flagged as sensitive, and goods showing signs of illegal smuggling. It also adds a small fee to each shipment that does qualify, requires customs officials to collect more information about what's being imported, and creates penalties for false statements to customs officials.

How it affects you

If you order small items from overseas, you may start seeing fees added to shipments that previously entered tax-free. Businesses that import goods—especially those in textiles, apparel, and other protected industries—may see more of their shipments subject to tariffs. The bill also aims to make it harder for illegal drugs like fentanyl to slip through customs under the guise of small packages.

Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Mar 27, 2025)

Fighting Illicit Goods, Helping Trustworthy Importers, and Netting Gains for America Act of 2025 or the FIGHTING for America Act of 2025

This bill makes changes to the de minimis exemption, including by eliminating the exemption for certain U.S. imports. (Section 321 of the Tariff Act of 1930 allows for U.S. imports under a de minimis threshold of $800 per shipment to enter free of tariffs, fees, and taxes.)

The bill prohibits U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from applying the de minimis exemption to certain goods, such as goods that are

• subject to specified trade remedies, such as safeguard measures (Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974), actions in response to unfair trade practices (Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974), or actions for national security purposes (Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962);

• designated as import sensitive under the Generalized System of Preferences (e.g., textiles and apparel); or

• identified as presenting persistent and significant evidence of illegal importation.

The bill directs CBP to collect additional information on goods that may qualify for the de minimis exemption. The bill establishes penalties for related violations, including a civil penalty for providing a false statement to CBP and a minimum penalty for aiding unlawful importation.

The bill establishes a specific fee for each shipment entering under the de minimis exemption.

CBP must designate as a priority trade issue the smuggling of fentanyl and other drugs by abusing entry procedures for goods qualifying for the de minimis exemption.

Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.

119th Congress
1st Session
S. 1185

A BILL

FIGHTING for America Act of 2025

In the SenateNo vote yet

Sponsor: Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) · Introduced Mar 27, 2025 · Foreign Trade and International Finance · 1 version of the text

Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 27, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.”

Sections

Sections · 13