Trump’s tariffs are impacting individuals that come from low income backgrounds and have specialty fashion needs. Shein and Temu are both well known online companies that allow for people to look bougie on a budget. These companies offer free shipping, and best of all, draws everyone in with their cheap prices. They sell everything: clothes, house decor, accessories, utensils and much more. An item that you can find on Amazon for $14.99 will be almost 50% less on Shein or Temu, just with the con of having a longer delivery time.
These companies have both been affected by the tariffs ordered by Trump. The U.S. previously had the de minimis exemption, which was a provision that allowed certain low-value goods to enter a country duty-free, simplifying customs procedures for small packages. This is what made buying from companies like Shein and Temu so affordable.
When I ordered a package of clothes from Shein before May 2, the deadline of the tariffs, I had the option of both free delivery and I could add coupons on top of the sale originally from Shein. I ordered three dresses and two pairs of co-ord sets, totaling to only about $64.92 with an additional 15% off coupon.
I added all the items from my previous order to my cart, but because of the tariffs, it totaled to $84.73 with no additional coupons. The shipping times have gotten longer and starting July 1, officially, there will be no more free shipping. This includes items that are shipped from U.S. warehouses and the returns on said items.
My mom wanted to order home decorations, but I had to pay the shipping fee of $4.99 on orders below $29.99 on Shein.
Changes in U.S. import regulations, particularly the removal of the de minimis exception for tiny packages from China and Hong Kong, have resulted in a recent surge in Shein pricing. Shein and Temu mostly depended on this exemption, but now that it has ended, companies like Shein have to pay more for imports, resulting in higher prices for consumers.
I think that these tariffs are making it more difficult for individuals to shop. I know that there are other options, such as thrifting. But, being a hijabi, I struggle to find modest clothing items. I know that I can rely on other sites like Veiled Collection, but the clothes there are expensive. I always could rely on Shein for cheap, cute and modest clothes, but not anymore.
