#customs-enforcement

#customs-enforcement

At first glance, the surroundings of Oslo's port on a sunny September afternoon look like something out of a postcard. Some brave souls dive into the cold North Sea after a sauna session; others glide at high speed on water skis while dodging dozens of kayaks. The terraces next to the Edvard Munch Museum are full of diners and seafood.

For nearly a century, the "de minimis" trade exemption let people skip import fees for shipping small stuff. But after the U.S. raised its limit to $800, that small stuff became big business, driven by online shopping. "We're talking about 4 million de minimis packages being processed a day," says Courtney Griffin of the Consumer Federation of America. The de minimis rule also became increasingly contentious.