China slams US' elimination of de minimis policy

China firmly opposes the United States' decision to eliminate the de minimis exemption, a tax-free policy that allows low-cost parcels to enter the US duty-free, for Chinese goods, and will work with all countries to promote the sound development of cross-border e-commerce, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

The White House ended US duty-free access for low-value shipments worth $800 or less from China on Friday, removing the de minimis exemptions availed of by Shein, Temu and other e-commerce firms.

"The US decision to cancel the de minimis exemption for China will not be able to stop the rapid development of cross-border e-commerce," said He Yadong, spokesman for the ministry, at a news conference on Thursday.

He noted that cross-border e-commerce meets the personalized needs of consumers in various countries, with unique advantages of high efficiency, fast delivery and low costs.

"We are willing to work with all countries to strengthen cooperation and jointly create a fair and predictable policy environment to promote the healthy and sustainable development of cross-border e-commerce," He said.