Consumers who bought low‑value goods from international platforms will now face import charges, including flat duties or percentage rates, creating checkout or delivery sticker shock. Retailers that relied on tax‑free cross‑border shipping face disruptions, forced price increases, logistical changes, and reduced marketing. Shein and Temu experienced steep drops in users and sales and restructured operations. Etsy and eBay saw share declines and seller pullbacks as some international sellers pause U.S. sales. Larger retailers with different fulfillment models, such as Amazon and Walmart, face less direct impact but the broader e‑commerce landscape will see cost and behavioral changes.
Consumers who have grown accustomed to buying goods under $800 from major international platforms like Shein, Temu, and overseas sellers on Amazon, Etsy, or eBay will now face unexpected import charges-sometimes a flat duty of $80 to $200, or rates ranging from 10% to 50% of the parcel's value. For shoppers, this means "sticker shock": orders that used to be tax-free will now carry hefty new costs at checkout or even on delivery, whether paid upfront by retailers or passed directly to buyers.
Shein's U.S. daily active users fell 25% and Temu's dropped 52% after the exemption ended for China in May, with both forced to raise prices and alter logistics. Shein's weekly sales dropped by up to 23% year-over-year in June, while Temu's dipped by 33%. Both platforms had to restructure operations and reduce aggressive marketing.
Etsy shares fell 8.4% on August 25, immediately after the executive order to end the exemption. Over the last five trading sessions, Etsy stock is down 14%. Some international sellers on Etsy are pausing U.S. sales due to uncertainty and costs, threatening Etsy's revenue stream. eBay shares are down 6%, underperforming the broader Nasdaq over the last week. U.S. buyers now face added import taxes for eBay purchases, leading to interruptions and higher cost
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