Shein, Temu prices spike as much as 300% due to US tariffs

Chinese e-commerce giants Shein and Temu are raising prices for U.S. shoppers following newly imposed tariffs on Chinese imports. Beginning May 2, imports from China valued under $800 — once exempt under the "de minimis" rule — are now subject to a tax amounting to 120% of the product’s value, or a minimum of $100 per shipment.

How much have prices gone up? Both Temu and Shein have started passing these new import costs onto customers. A review of 14 top-selling Temu products shows that, in many cases, the new taxes now surpass the value of the products themselves, more than doubling their overall price.

At the same time, Shein has significantly raised prices for U.S. buyers, with some items seeing hikes of over 300%.

Are any items still unaffected? Products already stored in U.S. warehouses are still exempt from the new tariffs, meaning their prices remain stable for now. To prepare for tariff changes, Temu had previously encouraged its suppliers to send goods in bulk to U.S. warehouses under a “half-custody” approach.

What’s next? As existing warehouse inventory runs low and new shipments come in under the higher tax rates, wider price increases are expected. The new tariffs arrive amid growing tensions in U.S.-China trade relations and could have a major impact on American online shopping behaviors in the near future.