Foster, C. G. 2026. Disruption in digital trade and small packages: Examining global de-minimis reforms and e-commerce logistics regulations, Paper presented at Digital Trade Conference, London, UK, June
[Paper in progress]
Abstract
This paper seeks to examine de minimis regulations. There are rules that set out the “non-regulation” of small packages moving across borders, whereby imported packages below a threshold value are not subject to typical trade regulations. Although originally introduced to simplify parcel logistics in the mid-twentieth century, these regulations have recently been appropriated at scale by e-commerce platforms.
Global reforms of deminimis rules is linked to a range of issues emerging as use of this rule has expanded. Importing countries often feel negative impacts of low-cost e-commerce, including a limited ability to regulate distant platforms, low quality of incoming goods, regulatory avoidance and perceived unfair competition between international and domestic platform sellers. There are also geopolitical aspects at play, given that successful platforms and the majority of sellers tend to be Chinese.
This paper analyses such de minimis reform in three major jurisdictions – in the US, reform has been part of Presidential orders as part of the second Trump presidency, in the EU; deminimis reform has been planned as part of EU customs reforms, although some countries such as France are also acting unilaterally on deminimis; in the UK, custom duty relief (the UK’s deminimis equivalent) were recently announced as being phased out in the Autumn budget.