Temu, Shein import taxes in response to Trump’s tariffs leave U.S. shoppers stunned (2025)

If you’ve done any online shopping recently on platforms like Temu or Shein, you may have noticed prices are soaring — and not just for the items themselves.

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Several Chinese e-commerce retailers have begun tacking on steep import fees, some as high as 150%, leaving U.S. shoppers stunned at checkout.

One top-selling item on Temu — the Pancerka handheld steam iron — is listed at $25.80. But when added to the cart, the site reveals a surprising $32.10 import charge, even though shipping is listed as free, making the fee more than the cost of the product.

Another example: A raised garden bed planter priced at $124.13. Again, Temu advertises free shipping, but the import charge is $142.73, bringing the total cost to over $266.

New Tariffs Rolling Out

Business analyst Parag Amin said the added costs are a direct result of changing U.S. trade policy.

“We’re going to be seeing higher prices across the board,” Amin said. “These tariffs are affecting all parts of everyday American life.”

Starting Friday, the U.S. is eliminating a long-standing tax exemption known as the de minimis rule. Previously, imported items priced under $800 were not subject to tariffs. That will no longer be the case, following a decision by former President Donald Trump to repeal the exemption.

“What that was is that if something cost less than $800, there wasn’t going to be a tax or a tariff on it for being shipped in,” Amin explained. “Now, President Trump has gotten rid of that exemption, so that means those items are also going to be taxed.”

Inventory Workarounds — For Now

News4JAX found that Temu is already labeling certain items as being stored in U.S. warehouses. These products — including some clothing, electronics, appliances and furniture — are exempt from the new import charges.

Amin said that’s a strategic move. Companies like Temu and Shein began shipping large volumes of inventory stateside ahead of the May 2 deadline to avoid the looming tariffs.

“They’ve already imported a number of items... to try to circumvent this,” Amin said. “But there’s only so much inventory they can keep on hand. The reality is, eventually, if this tariff stays in place, prices are going to increase across the board once what they’ve already shipped runs out.”

Impact on Small Businesses

While major multinational retailers may have financial strategies in place to soften the blow, smaller retailers, particularly local businesses, are less insulated.

“Those smaller, mom-and-pop stores don’t have the ability to absorb these costs,” Amin added. “They’ll have to pass them directly on to consumers.”

The coming weeks are likely to bring more price increases for imported goods across multiple categories, as the new tariff policy takes full effect.