Effectively today, the Trump administration has eliminated minimal exemptions. US importers must pay taxes on the package regardless of total cost.
In the case of crypto, the end of duty-free imports has a significant impact on small and medium-sized businesses focusing on hardware development and Bitcoin mining.
Major changes in e-commerce
Today, the Trump administration has ended duty-free imports of packages that cost less than $800.
The rule, known as the “de minimis” exemption, can affect small businesses that rely on this tax exemption status to reduce overall costs. Over the next few weeks, shoppers are hoping to see prices rise and fewer market options.
The threshold has enabled imports from major China-based e-commerce sites such as Shein and Temu to do business in the US.
These retailers rely on shipping large quantities of low-cost packages directly to US consumers, bypassing customs and customs procedures.
The end of the $800 de-minimis exemption is tomorrow, and almost no one understands it. Since 2016, the exemption has brought e-commerce volume to an all-time high.
This is an absolute nuclear apocalypse for e-commerce growth and associated ad spending. $amzn $ebay $wmt $meta https://t.co/mwpi6qy2qc pic.twitter.com/lkfpnllcc4
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(@calvinfroedge) August 28, 2025
In its official statement, the Trump administration cited concerns that these companies would misuse the exemptions.
The White House also cites national security concerns, claiming foreigners are abusing loopholes to ship illegal substances like fentanyl to the United States.
“Some of the techniques these shippers are employing include the true content of the cargo, the identity of the distributor, and the country of origin of the import, including the use of resippers in the US, false invoices, fraudulent postage charges and abolition packaging.”
Applying to crypto and eliminating exemptions introduces important logistics and financial challenges in the hardware and mining sectors.
Ripples affect cryptography and hardware
The crypto industry, which specializes in cold wallets, could be the biggest hit by elimination of exemptions. Because this type of crypto-related product is manufactured internationally, shipping of any value is subject to duties and fees.
This decision could lead to price increases for the final consumer and attenuate the demand for these security products.
Cryptomining can also suffer from the ripple effects of this decision.
Large-scale mining operations typically import hardware in bulk, which are already subject to customs duties, but the De Minimis exemption provided a way for small or individual miners to import equipment.
In particular, China is the dominant producer of ASIC hardware, an important component of Bitcoin mining.
The elimination of exemptions combined with US tariffs on Chinese imports can provide rises in price for final consumers and potential disruptions in the mining supply chain.
This makes it even more expensive for American miners to acquire new equipment. The move could slow the growth of the industry in the US and shift mining operations to countries with more favorable import duties.
Post Trump eliminates minimum shipping exemptions. This means that it was the first appearance of cryptography.
