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How Small Brands Are Handling the End of De Minimis

For a number of independent brands, the end of the US’ de minimis exemption is the latest complication that required sharpening operations and making tough choices about where to invest.
New duties following the end of the de minimis exemption have caught many shoppers by surprise.
New duties following the end of the de minimis exemption have caught many shoppers by surprise. (Shutterstock/ BoF Collage)

Shortly after Nicki Patel, a California-based hospitality executive, ordered a dress from New Delhi-based House of Masaba for a friend’s Indian wedding, she received a warning from the brand on WhatsApp that she would be hit with an import duty if she continued with the transaction.

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Joan Kennedy
Joan Kennedy

Joan Kennedy is Correspondent at The Business of Fashion. She is based in New York and covers beauty and marketing.

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