Last night, when the “Liberation Day” took effect and the prices on imports were revealed, I did what any American could do in crisis: I am panicking.
I struck what I thought was most likely to go out: the fast and soft fashionable prices and the junky plastic that comes directly from China. Thus, by reading tweets which speculated that the rate rates were determined by Chatgpt, I went to TEMU and I frantically placed an order. A last Hourra.
While I placed an order for several baguettes and bubble machines (I have an anniversary of a child to come, so it was a boutique somewhat intentional, certainly), I could not help asking myself: Wow, right?
Will it be the end of a suspicion of $ 2.74 that discloses gluée on me (which happened with a real suspicion that I bought at TEMU)?
Is this the end of children who make fun of their parents to become “victims of Temu”?
Is this the end of TEMU used as a new slang insult?
Right now, I’m not sure.
I checked the prices of the items I bought Wednesday evening Thursday morning, post-variety announcement. (It is not clear when exactly each price will start to take effect.) So far, no price change. The TEMU website had neither pop-ups nor banners or warnings that prices could change due to new rates.
TEMU is in a bit of a unique position compared to other consumer goods that you could buy that have been manufactured in China. TEMU and the fast-fashion shein’s Whole Business retailer ships your order directly from China, using the Minimus exemption – An old law which allows you to send items of less than $ 800 to the United States in the franchise of rights.
Basically, if Walmart imports t-shirts made in China, he must pay prices, which will probably be transmitted to me in the price when I buy one from the store. But if I order a single shein t -shirt, it delivered me directly to me without a tax tax – which is one of the ways in which Temu and Shein were able to keep the prices so low.
So you might think that TEMU would only be spared prices. But Trump has just signed a decree that would close this miminis Exhaust, and add a right of 30% or stable costs of $ 25 (which would cost $ 50 on June 1).
The official announcement of the White House order, which should come into force on May 2, says that this must stop the flow of illegal synthetic opioids such as fentanyl that are shipping to the United States from China by post. I do not know much about the illegal drug trade, but I always assumed that the margins are quite healthy; It may be an industry capable of absorbing a price.
I hope that my TEMU order will arrive before May, and I could have sneaned under the wire with my last reckless consumer pulse. Am I proud of that? Absolutely not. Believe me, I feel as bad as I am.
(The announcement of the White House was difficult for the parent company of TEMU, PPD Holdings, and others, like Alibaba, whose actions fell on Thursday.
I have no idea what will happen with TEMU and Shein or other retailers who have transformed their industries in recent years by offering unbeatable prices. Will consumers finally launch their habit of hyperconsumption? Will this put these companies to bankruptcy if buyers have to pay significant service fees? No clues!
Right now, we are in a strange moment when it is not completely clear what will happen (even if it seems … probably “bad” “) I only tell you what I feel:
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