Container volumes at one of America’s busiest ports are falling fast. President Trump’s 145% tariffs on Chinese goods entering the U.S. are wreaking havoc on trans-Pacific containerized trade, triggering a sharp decline in shipments from Chinese ports.
On Friday, Chinese e-commerce giant Temu halted U.S. deliveries after the Trump administration closed the “de minimis” loophole, which had previously allowed a flood of Chinese junk under $800 to enter tariff-free.
The move signals a further decline in Chinese imports to the U.S.
Ahead of Friday’s end of the de minimis exemption for China-made goods, Temu hiked prices and rolled out a complete breakdown of customer import charges. Singapore-based e-commerce website Shein Group also hiked prices.
Temu confirmed late Friday to the New York Times: “This shift is part of Temu’s ongoing adjustments to improve service levels.”
The use of de minimis by Chinese e-commerce has surged in recent years, with Temu and Shein connecting U.S. consumers with cheap Chinese goods priced 20% to 30% less than U.S. competitors like Amazon.
