Bryan, other territorial governors seek customs-duty exemption on small packages

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. said on October 9, 2025, that he had asked President Donald Trump to exempt U.S. territories from new customs duties on small packages shipped to and from the mainland.

Government House said the request was made in a joint letter co-signed by the governors of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa. Bryan also sent a separate letter to Deputy Secretary of the Interior William Hague seeking relief.

According to Government House, the request concerned Executive Order 14324. The administration said the order was intended to address foreign-trade loopholes and strengthen U.S. supply chains, but Bryan said its application to territories outside the U.S. customs zone would increase costs for residents and businesses.

The joint appeal said the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands are outside the customs zone and were included in the order even though, the governors argued, they do not present a foreign-trade threat. The letter also said the territories depend heavily on parcel shipping and that added duties could raise prices, disrupt supply chains and delay medications.

Government House said Bryan organized the joint appeal after a meeting in the week before October 9, 2025, with senior U.S. Department of the Interior officials.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-leads-territorial-governors-in-request-to-president-for-customs-duty-exemption-on-small-packages/