Jack Silva | Nurphoto | Getty images
The Chinese e-tailer Temu began to add “import costs” of around 145% in response to the president Donald Trump's price.
The costs, which began to arise during the weekend after the entry into force of price increases, cost more than individual products that consumers buy and may more than double the price of a typical order.
For example, a summer dress sold on TEMU for $ 18.47 will cost $ 44.68 after $ 26.21 in import costs are added to the invoice, a surcharge of 142%, according to a CNBC analysis. A child's swimsuit at a price of $ 12.44 will cost buyers $ 31.12 when import costs of $ 18.68 will be taken into account, narcotic costs of 150%. A portable vacuum cleaner listed at $ 16.93 now costs $ 40.11 when taking import costs of $ 21.68, which represents an increase of around 137%.
Articles for sale on TEMU with import costs.
With kind permission:
“Articles imported into the United States can be subject to import costs.” The amount listed may not represent the actual amount paid to the customs authorities. ”
TEMU representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comments.
The Rival discount retailer, Shein, has also increased prices on his site, but he does not seem to implement import costs. The company added a banner to the cash register which stipulates: “The prices are included in the price you pay. You will never have to pay more on delivery.”
The movements intervene after Temu and Shein warned earlier this month increase their prices After Trump slapped a rate of 145% on many imports from China and has sworn to end the minimis exemption May 2. The widely criticized flaw has helped accelerate the growth of TEMU and Shein in the United States, as it has enabled most packages to enter the right-of-law country, as long as imports were evaluated at $ 800.
“Due to recent changes in global trade rules and prices, our operating expenses have increased”, Tem said On his site earlier this month. “To continue to offer the products you like without compromising quality, we will make price adjustments from April 25, 2025.”
Import costs erode the value proposal that made TEMU popular with consumers in the first place. TEMU, which belongs to the Chinese electronic commerce giant PDD holdingsFlounted in popularity in the United States since its launch in 2022 by using the Internet with advertisements proclaiming that users can “shop as a billionaire”. Although shipping times can be long, consumers have flocked to the site because the prices at the bottom of the rocks on clothing, electronics and goods made the additional wait worth it.
TEMU authorized consumers short of money fighting to afford essential elements Like grocery store and housing to make follies on pleasant items in Have as new clothes or interior decoration without the high price. Now, the prices of many of its products will be more aligned with American competitors such as Amazon,, Walmart And TargetBut could still take more than a week to arrive.
Temu suddenly Reduces his online advertising expenses In the United States, Trump announced radical prices. TEMU ranking in the Apple A app store has since dropped to n ° 73, after a classification constantly in the top 10, according to Sensor tower data. Shein is currently at 54, down compared to 15 years last month.
'It was good while it lasted'
TEMU buyers have Flooded a Reddit Forum With positions describing the import costs induced by the prices in the days that followed the price increase. In a post Entitled “RIP TEMU, it was good while it lasted”, a user wrote that the price of articles “went to fly” on Friday.
“To shop like a billionaire with shopping like a peasant in one day,” wrote a user A separate reddit message SATURDAY.
Some media and consumers have followed modest price increases on individual items sold on TEMU – before import costs. It seems that new costs are only underway products that are not sold in local warehouses in the United States in the past year, TEMU has worked to build American distribution centers to protect themselves from trade tensions and have pushed certain sellers to store inventory in the United States
Recently, TEMU promoted products that Ship to local consumers on those who send China directly. This trend has only increased as the company increases prices and adds additional costs.
For example, an analysis of the TEMU “Lightning Deals” page on Monday showed more than 75% of the products offered had a “local” label on them. When consumers click on the articles, a brilliant green banner with the words “no import costs” is highlighted at the top.
