Gallagher Committee Postal

House Select Committee on China Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc) and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky) have asked US Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to provide records of Chinese-originating mail and shipments entering the United States through USPS.

In a letter released yesterday, the two lawmakers said they are seeking information on the extent to which Chinese companies are taking advantage of the $800 de minimis rule.

The letter is a continuation of the Select Committee’s investigation of Chinese companies Shein and Temu, which rely heavily on the de minimis provision, using it ship packages under $800 directly to American consumers, while avoiding compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and evading any import duties.

“Chinese companies can take advantage of the de minimis rule and ship products via commercial shipping companies, as well as the USPS, directly to US consumers without paying duties and fees or subjecting their products to investigation by authorities,” the lawmakers wrote.

“It has been reported that Chinese companies routinely break large shipments into numerous smaller ones in order to take advantage of the de minimis threshold and avoid customs duties and tariffs. Such practices abuse the intent of the threshold and provide unfair advantages to Chinese importers to the detriment of the US economy and national security.”

The two Republicans asked the Postal Service to provide data on PRC-origin shipments that might use de minimis entry to skirt regulation, similar to data other federal agencies – like Customs and. Border Control.