Whatever you think about the de minimis trade exemption, (I support removing it since it’s clearly become a loophole that can be exploited in a way that wasn’t

Whatever you think about the de minimis trade exemption, (I support removing it since it’s clearly become a loophole that can be exploited in a way that wasn’t imaginable in the past when a random American couldn’t order a $2 item from a random factory in China), the approach has just been ridiculous. The administration made a decision with absolutely no thought about what it would entail, and then realized (fortunately) that it would fuck up the entire US economy because the customs system was totally not prepared to inspect every package that was making it to US shores and even attempting to enforce this would gum um all the ports and lead to skyrocketing prices and the destruction of trade and economic activity within the U.S., and then “paused” an order they passed barely a few days ago. It’s just a ridiculous way to run a government. And it raises severe concerns about the other decisions they’re making which may not have as stark and as immediate a feedback loop, but may be far more consequential and detrimental over the longer run.