"Denial, bargaining, anger, acceptance ... I've been through it all since April when President Trump announced big plans to close a shipping loophole. But now, I bring good news on my ongoing journey of buying cheap plastic garbage for low, low prices: I was able to get a new Temu order in - with no big extra fees. The sweet, sweet smell of bargains and microplastics was once again filling my nostrils, and my heart is full."
"To explain how we got here, I have to back up a little, back to this spring when Trump imposed big tariffs on goods imported from China, along with the end of the de minimis exemption. De minimis was the law that allowed packages valued under $800 to ship directly from overseas to customers in the US without any duty tax - and it was the backbone of Chinese e-commerce platforms like Temu and Shein."
Major tariffs and the end of the $800 de minimis exemption eliminated duty-free direct shipments from overseas and disrupted low-price direct-from-China retail. Temu and Shein responded by promoting products that shipped from local US warehouses, leveraging built-up domestic inventories to avoid extra duties and maintain low visible prices. Confusion and policy flip-flopping accompanied the transition, affecting shipping routes and customer experiences. Recently, Temu resumed direct shipments from China for some orders, and a shopper reported receiving an order without additional fees. The resumption suggests temporary or partial workarounds allowing some direct-to-US deliveries to clear without apparent extra charges.
Read at Business Insider
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