Guam Delegate James Moylan, along with members of the Congressional Territories and Commonwealths Caucus, sent a joint letter to the White House, Department of Treasury, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Postal Service requesting a meeting to address the recent change to the duty-free de minimis treatment which affects mail originating in the territories including Guam.

In the letter, Moylan, Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández (D-Puerto Rico), Rep. Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-American Samoa), Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-U.S. Virgin Islands), and Rep. Kimberlyn King-Hinds (R-CNMI) raised concerns over the removal of the $800 de minimis exemption and the changes to customs processing requirements.

President Donald Trump's Executive Order 14324 on July 30, 2025, removed the de minimis exemption to address national emergencies, illicit drugs, tariffs and other concerns in the international postal network. That suspension was continued through Executive Order 14388 in February 2026.

Moylan said that the broad application of the suspension is now adversely affecting individuals and businesses in U.S. territories outside of the U.S. customs territory.

“This is affecting people across the territories, not just Guam,” Moylan said. “That is why we are raising this issue together. Our residents and businesses already deal with higher shipping costs and fewer options. We should be looking for ways to make things easier for them, not adding another hurdle. We want to sit down with the administration, work through these concerns, and find a solution that recognizes the realities our communities face.”

In the Sept. 14 letter to federal partners, the Caucus said that the broad suspension imposes new barriers and additional fees on individuals and businesses solely because of where they call home.

"Several elected officials also raised these concerns during the 2026 Interagency Group on Insular Areas Senior Plenary Session. And in November, Congresswoman King-Hinds, joined by Congressman Moylan, Congresswoman Radewagen, and Congresswoman Plaskett, introduced H.R. 5960, the Territorial De Minimis Exemption Act, to permanently provide a de minimis exemption for U.S. territories outside of the USCT," the Caucus said in the letter.

The Caucus stressed that territories and commonwealths are integral to the United States.

"We believe it is important to ensure that federal policies do not inadvertently treat shipments originating in the territories in the same manner as imports from foreign countries," the Caucus said.

Though the Caucus acknowledged the federal government's responsibility to implement trade and customs policies. They cautioned that the broad application could "unintentionally impose disproportionate burdens on the territories."

"Residents and businesses in Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands already face unique logistical and economic challenges, including higher shipping costs, geographic isolation, and limited transportation options," the Caucus said.

Moylan's office said that H.R. 5960 provides a legislative solution.

"The legislation would permanently provide a de minimis exemption for U.S. territories outside of the U.S. customs territory," Moylan's office said.

The congressional representatives hope that the requested meeting with key federal partners brings a better understanding of how the new requirements are being implemented, as well as identify possible administrative solutions and discuss how to restore the duty free de minimis treatment for territories.