Since Friday, cheap products bought on sites like TEMU or Aliexpress have been subject to heavy taxes at the entrance to American territory.
All packages from China, even those containing cheap items bought en masse by the Americans, have been struck since Friday by punitive customs duties in the United States. The packages from China and Hong Kong were not previously subject to customs duties if their value did not exceed $ 800.
But this exemption, called “minimis”, ended on Friday at 4:01 GMT on Friday as part of the trade war between Beijing and Washington. This mechanism had notably enabled Chinese online commerce giants TEMU, Shein and Aliexpress to develop in the United States by offering clothes, home items and low-cost electronic products. Concretely, parcels routed by private carriers like UPS and Fedex are now subject to 145% customs duties, like all Chinese products passing borders since early April.
For those conveyed by postal services, they are struck either by customs duties representing 120% of their value, or by a package of $ 100. This package is due to increase to $ 200 on June 1. According to findings this Friday, the Chinese e-commerce platforms, the economic model of which is thus questioned, adopted different strategies.
At Aliexpress (Alibaba group), products arriving directly from China are suddenly cost the validation of the basket, «charges d’importation» being added. For example, for the purchase of headphones displayed at 8.74 dollars, the bill jumped $ 12.67 to cover the new customs law by 145%, bringing the total to $ 21.41 excluding local tax and delivery. “Products from the People’s Republic of China (which includes Hong Kong products) intended to be consumed in the United States will be subject to all import charges (…) in accordance with the regulatory requirements currently in force in the United States”is it specified.
Switch to “local” supply
On the other hand, on the American site of TEMU, the products put forward now present a small green label mentioning “local”. This does not mean that they are produced in the United States, but that they are already present in warehouses in the country and therefore freed new customs taxes. “This means that you will not have to pay customs fees”he said to reassure buyers.
Requested, the company said it was “Changing the operating model” : “All its sales” in the United States is now provided “By sellers based” On site. However, this strategy is likely to stop on the exhaustion of stocks, for lack of new shipments from China.
Customs duties have reached such a level on both sides and this has the effect of«embargo» On the exchanges, the US finance minister Scott Bessent has repeatedly said. Washington has expressed his desire for de -escalation, while seeming to reluctant to take the first step. Beijing said on Friday to be “Assessing” A proposal for negotiations from the United States. Investors therefore bet on relaxation between the two powers. And Chinese online trade sites listed on the New York Stock Exchange was widely evolved in green Friday around 4:05 pm GMT: +4.34% for PDD, the owner of TEMU, +3.77% for Alibaba and +4.12% for JD.com.
More than four million packages benefiting from the exemption came to the United States every day, according to the White House. President Donald Trump had announced the first time in early February, the restoration of customs duties for these small shipments, before suspending his decision to give the government time and his agencies to prepare. Also faced with an influx of packages, France suggested last week to pay “Management costs” on those arriving from countries outside the European Union (EU). These flat -rate fees would be applied from 2026, until 2028, the date on which the EU could remove the current customs duties exemption from parcels worth less than 150 euros.
