HR 5960 Introduced: Protecting the Marianas in Federal Trade Policy

Residents across the Marianas have been feeling the effects of recent federal changes that caused low-value shipments from the territories to be treated as if they were coming from foreign countries. People were being charged rates and classifications that simply do not reflect who we are under U.S. law. To address this, I joined my colleagues from Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands in introducing HR 5960, a bill to reinstate the de minimis exemption for the territories. The bill restores the tariff treatment that Congress intended for our islands and makes clear that federal policy should not sweep the territories into restrictions meant for foreign countries. Our status is unique. We are not foreign, but we are also not part of the customs territory. That distinction is written into federal law, and it must be honored. Territorial economies are deeply connected to the broader U.S. market. When federal policy overlooks that status or disrupts the systems that link our islands to the rest of the country, the impact is immediate. This bill provides a clear fix and requires federal agencies to consider territorial impacts before making future trade or tariff decisions.