Report: U.S. Reduces Tariffs On Temu And Shein Shipments To As Low As 30%

In this photo illustration, the Shein and Temu logo are displayed on screens on February 20, 2025 in London, England. (Photo Illustration by Ben Montgomery/Getty Images)

OAN Staff James Meyers
8:23 AM – Wednesday, May 14, 2025

The Trump administration has cut tariffs on cheap Chinese goods from certain shopping sites like Shein and Temu to as low as 30%.

The now 30% tariff, down from the previous 145% tariff, includes a 10% “reciprocal” duty on China, and a 20% tax related to a fentanyl trafficking crisis. Meanwhile, a flat fee of $100 per package still remains in effect.

After trade talks in Switzerland over the weekend, China and the U.S. agreed to a 90-day truce, as the U.S. cut levies on Chinese imports from 145% to 30%, China also lowered its tariff on U.S. goods from 125% to 10%.

This week, President Donald Trump lowered “de minimis” tariffs on low-value packages, which went from 120% to 54%.

In February, the 47^th president ended the de minimis exemption, which was a longtime trade loophole that Temu and Shein would use to send packages worth less than $800 into the U.S. duty-free, going around the customs process.

According to Reuters, there are different rules for packages handled by different commercial delivery firms such as FedEx and DHL, which handle packages for Temu and Shein.

However, a majority of Chinese imports will still be taxed at much higher rates under previous trade actions or national security investigations.

If goods are shipped in quantities that are worth less than $800, they could then qualify for de minimis exemptions and pay a $100 flat rate fee, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, both Democrats and Republicans have challenged the de minimis exemption, blaming the loophole for allowing dangerous goods into the U.S., due to the packages skipping random customs checks.

Trump has gone after the trade rule for allowing fentanyl into the U.S., as well as seeing growth in Chinese fashion shopping sites.

In 2024, China exported $240 billion worth of goods that benefited from the de minimis exemption, which accounted for 7% of the nation’s overseas sales and 1.3% of gross domestic product, according to Nomura.

“Sellers are probably taking a wait-and-see approach but in general I think it’s fair to say the boom times of small package delivery from China to the US, the Golden Age is already gone,” Jianlong Hu, CEO of Brands Factory, a Chinese e-commerce consulting firm, told Reuters.

According to the New York Post, U.S. shoppers have begun to turn away from the Chinese shopping sites, but instead buying from U.S. retailers and department stores.

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