Shein and Temu are in Donald Trump’s cross-hairs
An end to the de minimis exemption will hurt Chinese e-commerce firms—and enrage American consumers
For American consumers, online shopping has just got dearer. On February 1st Donald Trump did away with a decades-old provision, known as the de minimis waiver, that exempted goods under a certain value (lately $800) from customs duties. With the same stroke he raised tariffs on Chinese goods by 10%. Then on February 5th the United States Postal Service announced that it had temporarily suspended inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong, before abruptly reversing, causing all manner of confusion.
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This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Parcel out”
Business February 8th 2025
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- Shein and Temu are in Donald Trump’s cross-hairs
- An encounter with the reception desk
- Donald Trump loves big oil. Does big oil love him back?
From the February 8th 2025 edition
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