U.S. customers shopping on the Chinese e-commerce platform Temu are now facing unexpected import fees that in many cases exceed the original product prices — a result of escalating tariffs from the ongoing U.S.-China trade war.
Due to tariffs implemented by the Trump administration, many Temu items shipped from China to the United States now carry high import charges at checkout, causing total costs to double or even triple. A recent NBC News review found that a set of men’s athletic shorts listed for $23.61 on Temu ended up costing $56.36 after a $32.75 import fee — despite the listing offering “free shipping.”
Temu has included a disclaimer on its checkout page alerting customers: “Items imported into the U.S. may be subject to import charges,” adding that these charges cover customs-related costs and are not necessarily equivalent to the fees paid to customs authorities.
The sudden rise in Temu shipping costs stems from tariffs of up to 145% on Chinese imports imposed by former President Donald Trump, triggering retaliatory tariffs of 125% on American goods by China. According to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, it’s now up to China to ease trade tensions.
Some Temu products shipped domestically within the U.S. — even if manufactured in China — appear with significantly higher upfront prices but avoid additional import taxes. For instance, one U.S.-shipped blender cost $34.19 with no fees, while a similar Chinese-manufactured blender priced at just $5.94 was hit with an $8.18 import charge.
To help offset the impact of tariffs on Temu U.S. shoppers, the platform now highlights “local” items — products shipped from within the U.S. — prioritizing them in search results. However, shoppers continue to express frustration on social media over mounting costs. One user on X (formerly Twitter) posted an image showing $90 in import fees on a $64 Temu order. Another shared a $135 import charge on $86 worth of goods, joking that Temu should add a “Trump did this” label at checkout.
While Shein and Temu have both alerted customers of price hikes due to new global trade rules, other Chinese platforms like TikTok Shop have yet to show similar pricing disruptions.
As trade tensions continue to affect global e-commerce, U.S. customers are advised to double-check Temu import fees before completing their purchases.
