Court of International Trade Upholds Trump Administration's Suspension of De Minimis Tariff Exemption

The Court of International Trade (CIT) has upheld the Trump Administration's suspension of an $800 de minimis exemption from duties and import taxes. The per curiam decision, issued on August 13, 2026, in the case of Axle of Dearborn, Inc. v. Department of Commerce, affirmed the administration's authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to withdraw the exemption. The court reasoned that while IEEPA does not authorize the President to impose new tariffs, withdrawing an exemption merely subjects low-value imports to existing tariffs, rather than creating new ones.