US takes aim at Shein and Temu with new import rule proposal
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images
The Biden administration is addressing the “de minimis” exemption that it says some Chinese e-commerce companies “abuse” to ship products under $800 to US customers without tariffs.
New rules proposed on Friday subject certain shipments from China to closer inspection and tariffs — a move that will affect products sold by ultra-low-cost retailers like Shein and Temu.
With the rise of Chinese e-commerce sites like Shein and Temu, the US has seen a surge in shipments claiming the duty-free exemption. These shipments have increased from 140 million per year to more than one billion over 10 years, with the “majority” of products using the exemption coming from China. Shein and Temu claim the exemption because they send individual products…