De Minimis Shipments Shouldn't Be Exempt From 'Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement,' Toy Association Says

The Toy Association is actively working with CBP and the Consumer Product Safety Commission on e-commerce issues, it said in a newly released letter sent to the Senate Finance Committee on July 6. "The significant increase to the de minimis threshold, coupled with online platform as storefronts and efficiencies in logistics, have opened up entirely new business models of direct to consumer sales from factories in China and other countries," the TIA said. "We remain supportive of initiatives to improve enforcement and targeting of infringing goods by CBP and CPSC, especially for low-value shipments. The de minimis exemption cannot be an exemption from regulatory compliance and enforcement -- intellectual property, safety or otherwise. Importantly, because the average cost of a toy is approximately $10, the de minimis exemption value of $800 is a considerable number of toys, allowing for shipments well beyond personal use."