Exports to the US from Chinese online shops such as Temu and Shein have plunged in the face of Donald Trump’s trade war, as shipping from China to the EU has increased.
Official Chinese data showed its total e-commerce shipping to the US dropped 65% by volume in the first three months of the year, but rose by 28% in Europe.
The sharp fall comes amid reports that the fast-fashion discount platform Shein is considering a restructuring in the US to circumnavigate tariffs.
According to the Financial Times, one workaround would be for Shein to move production from China to countries not hit by US tariffs. Such a move could put its upcoming London stock exchange listing on hold.
The figures predate Trump’s April announcement that he was scrapping the tariff exemption on parcel imports worth up to $800 (£598) from 2 May. But they highlight how China’s e-commerce platforms have diverted marketing efforts to Europe in anticipation of US tariffs to come.
From May, US consumers may experience something akin to the Brexit effect that made many low-value imports prohibitively expensive for UK online shoppers, because of the overnight change in trading rules with the EU.
Punishing US tariffs of 145% on Chinese goods have already come into force, sending prices rocketing on both Temu and Shein.
Temu is passing on nearly all its import taxes to the consumer, with the average price of 100 products in two categories – toys and games, and health and beauty – jumping by more than 40% in the last two weeks, according to analysis by Bloomberg.
CNBC reported that a summer dress listed on Temu for $18.47 (£13.83) will cost $44.68 after $26.21 in import charges are added to the bill – a 142% surcharge.
Meanwhile, the cost of a child’s swimsuit almost triples from $12.44 to $31.12 when the $18.68 import charge is taken into account. A handheld vacuum cleaner listed at $16.93 now costs $40.11 when factoring in the additional fee.
On Tuesday, the Chinese government sent a defiant video message to Trump, warning it would not “kneel down” in the face of the punitive tariffs.
“Bowing to a bully is like drinking poison to quench thirst,” it said in the English-language statement.
The tariffs are intended to revive US manufacturing, but look set to hit businesses and consumers hard. Walmart is among the US companies trying to hold on to market share by telling its Chinese suppliers it will shoulder the import taxes, according to the South China Morning Post.
Even the US-based Amazon, which hosts many Chinese third-party sellers, has been scathed by rumours of how it planned to respond to the tariffs. After a report said it would break down prices for consumers to show the tariff cost, the company was called “hostile and political” by a White House spokesperson, before Trump called Jeff Bezos personally.
Amid fears that such a move could directly illustrate the impact of the trade war on consumers’ pockets, Trump said: “Jeff Bezos was very nice. He was terrific. He solved the problem very quickly. Good guy.”
Amazon said it had “considered the idea” of listing import charges but that the plan had been misreported, as it was never approved.
Temu and Shein were approached for comment.
