For nearly a decade, Americans bought $12 chargers and $25 dresses with one hidden subsidy: the De Minimis loophole. It let packages under $800 skip tariffs and paperwork entirely.

By 2024, more than a billion parcels a year were sailing through this backdoor — while small businesses at home choked on compliance costs.

Then, overnight, the door slammed shut.

SMEs are caught in the squeeze: rising compliance thresholds on one side, cooling demand on the other. Incentives exist on paper, but cash only flows once you’ve mastered documentation, construction timing, and credit monetization. This series breaks down how incumbents tilt the field and how smaller players can still win.