Budget Retailers Shein and Temu Boost Prices as Trump Tariffs Bite

( NewsNation ) — The popular budget 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 leading 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 up by 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 .

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

The pricing adjustments began on April 25, just a week prior to the expiration of the "de minimis" threshold. This regulation allowed shipments with low values to bypass specific customs documentation and be imported without duties.

Lawmakers on both sides of the political spectrum In recent years, they have urged for changes to the de minimis provision, expressing concerns that this exemption facilitates drug smuggling into the nation.

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

What items from Shein and Temu cost more money?

According to Bloomberg's examination of Shein, certain product categories experienced significantly higher price increases compared to others. Specifically, for items like home and kitchen goods as well as toys, average costs surged over 30% between April 24 and April 25. In contrast, the increase for women’s apparel was only around 8%.

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

Extra plush kitchen cleanup cloths: +377%
Brush for sealing gaps in air conditioning plus 219% improvement:
Manual chicken/meat shredder: +210%
Wax strips along with after-waxing wipes: +205%
Eyebrow gel for a natural look: +199%
Collagen moisture-locking lip balm: +180%
Ultra-fine blackhead extraction forceps: +168%
Eyelash shaper tool: +152%
Apply pressure to fingernails, shiny white: +150%
Gentle mint matte iridescent eyeshadow pencil: 141%

At Shein's checkout page, they've placed a banner stating, "All tariffs are covered in the cost shown to you. There will be no additional charges upon delivery."

Temu

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

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

Products brought into the U.S. might incur import fees," notes a message from Temu during checkout. "Such charges encompass various customs procedures and expenses, as well as import duties that are settled with customs officials on your behalf.

A portable steam iron listed on the site’s best-selling items has a price of $25.80, however, when you add in the $32.10 import fees, the total cost rises to around $60.

Nevertheless, many products on Temu’s bestseller list are fulfilled from local warehouses and do not incur extra import fees.

Shoppers have flooded the “TemuThings” Subreddits have recently been used as platforms for 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 getting my business anymore. Best wishes to everyone dealing with these duties."

In another post, a user wrote R.I.P. Temu, it was enjoyable while it lasted.

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