Budget Retailers Shein and Temu Boost Prices as Trump Tariffs Bite

( NewsNation )— Affordable retail stores Shein and Temu are following through on plans To increase prices because of President Trump’s tariffs, causing some items to nearly double in cost over the past few days.

Last week, the average cost of the top 100 beauty and wellness items on Shein increased by 51%, as reported. Data gathered by Bloomberg News Some items experienced even sharper increases: a pack of 10 kitchen towels jumped 377%, and eyebrow gel climbed almost 200%.

In the meantime, the Chinese retail app Temu seems to be transferring "almost all" of President Trump's new import duties directly to American shoppers. Bloomberg said The firm has begun including "import fees" that, in certain instances, surpass the worth of the item itself, as reported by Bloomberg and USA Today .

Why is Trump terminating the 'de minimis' exemption?

U.S. consumers were preparing for the alterations following the actions of both corporations. announced plans To increase prices at the beginning of this month, both Shein and Temu released remarkably similar statements indicating that their operational costs had risen because of "recent alterations in international trade policies and duties."

The pricing adjustments began on April 25, just one week prior to the expiration of the "de minimis" threshold, a regulation allowing items of minimal value to bypass specific customs documentation and be imported without duties.

Lawmakers on both sides of the political spectrum have advocated for updating the de minimis provision in recent years, expressing concerns that this exemption facilitates the smuggling of narcotics into the nation.

Trump eliminated the exception for products coming from China and Hong Kong. slapped a 145% tariff on many Chinese imports.

Which items from Shein and Temu cost more?

According to Bloomberg's examination of Shein, certain product categories experienced greater price increases compared to others. Home and kitchen items as well as toys witnessed an average increase exceeding 30% between April 24 and April 25. In contrast, the pricing for women’s apparel rose by about 8%.

Here are some significant price increases on Shein observed between April 24th and April 25th, as reported by Bloomberg:

Heavy-duty dish drying cloths: +377%
Brush for sealing gaps in air conditioning plus 219%
Manual chicken/meat shredder: +210%
Wax strips along with post-wax wipes: +205%
Natural finish eyebrow gel: +199%
Collagen moisture-locking lip balm: +180%
Ultra-fine blackhead extraction forceps: +168%
Eyelash shaper tool: +152%
Apply pressure to fingernails, shiny white: +150%
Glossy sweet mint matte pearl shimmer eye crayon: 141%

Shein has added a banner at checkout that reads, “Tariffs are included in the price you pay. You’ll never have to pay extra at delivery.”

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Temu

It seems Temu is adopting a somewhat distinct strategy by adding import fees during the check-out process.

For instance, a versatile 14-in-1 power strip priced at $19.34 on Monday sees an increase to $48.32 once you add the $27.49 in import fees to your total cost.

Products brought into the U.S. might incur import fees," a note from Temu states during checkout. "Such charges encompass all related customs procedures and expenses, as well as any import duties paid to customs officials on your behalf.

A portable steam iron featured on the website’s bestseller list has a listed price of $25.80, however, when you include the approximately $32.10 in import fees, the cost rises to around $60.

Nevertheless, many products on Temu’s bestseller list are sourced from local warehouses, thus avoiding extra import fees.

Shoppers have flooded the “TemuThings” In recent days, subreddits have been used by people to express their frustration. one post A user posted an image of their purchase receipt showing import taxes and commented, "Temu won’t be for me anymore. Best wishes to everyone dealing with these tariffs."

In another post, a user wrote Goodbye Temu, it was enjoyable while it lasted.

Neither Temu nor Shein promptly replied to NewsNation’s request for comment on Monday.

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