U.S. Tariff Restructuring and Global De Minimis Closure

Average effective duties on U.S. apparel imports surged from 14.7% in early 2025 to a peak of 35.1% by December 2025. Following the Supreme Court's February 20, 2026 invalidation of IEEPA reciprocal tariffs, trade policy pivoted to replacement surcharges, including a temporary 10% Section 122 duty followed by Section 301 forced-labor rates. Concurrently, the total elimination of the $800 de minimis duty-free exemption as of August 29, 2025 has directly exposed ultra-fast fashion direct-to-consumer imports to standard tariffs and formal entry costs.