Deborah Grushkin expressed feeling panicked upon learning about the end of “de minimis”. As an avid online shopper from New Jersey, she was taken aback earlier this year when US President Donald Trump signed an order to halt the entry of packages from China valued at less than $800 (£601) without import taxes and customs procedures. This decision, supported by traditional retailers, had been under discussion in Washington for years due to the influx of packages entering the US below the limit. Countries like the UK are also contemplating similar measures due to the rise of companies like Shein and Temu.
The termination of “de minimis” paired with the imposition of new trade tariffs, including import taxes of at least 145% on Chinese goods, has had a significant impact on businesses and consumers like Deborah. US-based e-commerce brands, which were built around this system, are cautioning that these changes could lead to the collapse of smaller firms, while shoppers like Deborah are bracing themselves for price increases and product shortages.
With the 2 May deadline looming, Deborah swiftly purchased around $400 worth of items from Shein, including various products, as she felt it might be her last opportunity to do so. The use of “de minimis” rules, which allowed low-value packages to bypass tariffs and customs inspections, has surged in the past decade, especially during Trump’s first term in office when tariffs on Chinese goods were increased.
Advocates of the exemption argue that it streamlined trade, resulting in lower prices and more choices for consumers. However, critics, including lawmakers from both parties, claim that businesses are exploiting these rules meant for gifts, leading to an increase in the entry of illegal, counterfeit, or unsafe products into the country. Trump dismissed concerns about higher costs associated with ending “de minimis,” prompting a backlash from those affected by the changes.
Krystal DuFrene, a retired individual from Mississippi, believes that consumers ultimately bear the brunt of tariffs. She has been closely monitoring prices on Temu and was alarmed to see prices triple, leading her to cancel an order. Even after finding the same item at the original price from the platform’s US warehouse network, she noticed a significant increase in the cost of her husband’s fishing nets. Krystal emphasizes that the tariffs directly impact customers, especially those reliant on affordable products from China.
Following the changes in “de minimis” regulations, Temu announced that it would no longer sell imported goods from China directly to US customers on its platform, instead opting for locally based sellers to fulfill orders within the US. The shift away from direct imports signals a significant change in the e-commerce landscape, with economists estimating substantial new costs associated with ending “de minimis.”
As consumers grapple with the implications of these changes, concerns about the economic impact are on the rise. The new rules have sparked debates about fairness, accessibility, and the future of online shopping in the US. Ultimately, the end of “de minimis” marks a pivotal moment in trade policy that could have far-reaching consequences for businesses and consumers alike. Deborah Grushkin
‘Un cambio insuperable’
La Aduana y Protección Fronteriza niegan que el cambio debilite la aplicación de la ley, señalando que las empresas aún deben suministrar más información que antes.
Las empresas han indicado que están tomando en serio los cambios.
Washington Post/Getty Images
La empresa de trajes a medida Indochino ha dicho que los cambios en el de minimis representan una “amenaza significativa” para su viabilidad
Tanto Shein como Temu el mes pasado advirtieron a los clientes que los precios subirían, mientras que Temu dice que está expandiendo rápidamente su red de vendedores y almacenes en Estados Unidos para proteger sus precios bajos.
Otros grupos empresariales dicen que muchas marcas americanas más pequeñas y menos conocidas que fabrican en el extranjero para clientes estadounidenses están luchando, y es posible que no sobrevivan.
“Si los aranceles no estuvieran en vigor, sería como tomar un poco de medicina amarga”, dice Alex Beller, miembro de la junta de la Alianza de Innovación de Comercio Electrónico, un grupo de presión empresarial y cofundador de Postscript, que trabaja con miles de pequeñas empresas en marketing de mensajes de texto.
“Pero combinado con los otros aranceles, especialmente para las marcas que fabrican en China, se convierte en un cambio insuperable.”
En una carta al gobierno el mes pasado, la empresa de ropa de hombres Indochino, conocida por sus trajes a medida hechos en China, advirtió que el fin del de minimis representa una “amenaza significativa para la viabilidad” de su negocio y de otras empresas americanas de tamaño medio como ella.
Steven Borelli es el director ejecutivo de la empresa de ropa deportiva CUTS, que fabrica fuera de Estados Unidos, enviando productos a un almacén en México, desde donde se envían paquetes a clientes en Estados Unidos.
Su empresa ha estado trabajando para reducir su dependencia de China, deteniendo pedidos en el país hace meses. Aun así, dice que ahora está considerando aumentos de precios y recortes de empleo.
Él dice que su negocio tiene margen de maniobra, ya que se dirige a clientes de mayores ingresos, pero espera que “miles” de otras marcas mueran sin cambios en la situación.
“Queremos más tiempo,” dice. “La rapidez con la que todo está sucediendo es demasiado rápida para que las empresas se ajusten.”