Friday, May 2, 2025 — WafricNews

Millions of Americans are waking up to unexpected price hikes and shipping delays as a major trade rule quietly expired at midnight Friday, signaling a new chapter in the U.S.-China tariff war—and ushering in what some are already calling a retail reckoning.

At the center of the shift is the end of the de minimis exemption, a decades-old provision that allowed goods valued under $800 to enter the U.S. without duties or rigorous inspections. The rule, long seen as a gateway for cheap goods from overseas e-commerce giants like Shein, Temu, and AliExpress, has now been scrapped—at least for Chinese and Hong Kong imports.

What does that mean in real terms? For shoppers hooked on ultra-low prices, it could soon mean paying double—or more—for the same everyday items, from patio lights to pet toys.

While former President Donald Trump’s tariffs once seemed like background policy noise to many Americans, the fallout from the de minimis change is far more direct. A basic tariff rate as high as 145% is now being applied to many Chinese goods entering through private carriers like UPS, FedEx, and DHL. Packages coming via USPS face a 120% tariff or a $100 flat fee, which jumps to $200 in June.

The rule change is already being felt on platforms like Shein and Temu, where price increases began trickling in days before the exemption ended.

“Due to recent changes in global trade rules and tariffs, our operating expenses have gone up,” Shein said in a notice posted to its website. Temu, for its part, said it is trying to cushion the impact by shifting its model toward local U.S. fulfillment and encouraging American sellers to join its platform.

For millions of Americans—particularly those in lower-income communities—the policy shift could widen the affordability gap. A joint UCLA-Yale study found that nearly half of all de minimis imports were delivered to the country’s poorest ZIP codes, while just over 20% went to wealthier areas.

“I already couldn’t afford U.S. prices, and now Temu’s out of reach too,” said Rena Scott, a 64-year-old retired nurse from Virginia.

The shift also adds pressure to an already strained shipping system. DHL, for example, has increased staff to handle a surge in customs clearances now required for previously duty-free items. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says it processes around 4 million de minimis shipments every day, most of them from China.

While Trump has branded the end of the exemption as a crackdown on what he called a “big scam,” public sentiment is shifting. A recent CNN poll found that 59% of Americans believe Trump’s economic policies have worsened conditions, with many citing rising costs of living as a direct result.

Still, the former president remains defiant. “It’s a big deal,” Trump said at a Cabinet meeting Thursday. “And we’ve ended it.”

What was once an abstract battle over global trade rules is now a daily reality for U.S. consumers—most notably those who depend on budget shopping sites to stretch shrinking paychecks.

For now, one thing is clear: as the dust settles on the death of the de minimis exemption, Americans will no longer need to understand international trade law to feel its effects. They’ll see it on their receipts.


By WafricNews Desk.