A Latin term that used to be little-known outside the world of customs brokers has become the stuff of headlines. That’s thanks to US President Donald Trump signing an executive order on April 2 to close a tariff loophole for “de minimis” merchandise from China and Hong Kong.

Under the de minimis rule, goods that are valued $800 or less could enter the US without incurring duties or a stringent inspection process. This loophole resulted in a boom in direct-to-consumer imports,

New Civil Liberties Alliance, a conservative legal group, on Thursday filed what it said was the first lawsuit seeking to block Donald Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports, saying the U.S. president overstepped his authority.

President Trump is cracking down on a popular tariff exemption for goods from China that allowed small shipments to avoid duties and customs inspections. Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order eliminating the so-called de minimis provision for low-value parcels from China,

While most discussions on trade and tariffs center around manufacturing and merchandise, software and service providers can be just as vulnerable. According to analysts, e-commerce software vendors and platforms such as Shopify Inc (NASDAQ: SHOP),

These changes pose a huge challenge to small exporters, manufacturers and Chinese online merchants – epitomised by the “Made in China, sold on Amazon” community – and the further development of cross-border e-commerce.