The price increase of American goods has already begun, and some products have seen shockingly large price hikes.

On the Temu e-commerce platform, a children's swimsuit priced at $12.44 has an "import fee" of $18.68, making the total price $31.12.

This "import fee" is mostly made up of tariffs, which are higher than the product itself.

A handheld vacuum cleaner priced at $16.93 is sold for $40.11, with $21.68 of that being the "import fee."

Amazon originally wanted to do the same thing by displaying the "tariff cost" next to the product price, but after being quickly and harshly criticized by the White House, it abandoned this idea.

A professor from Tulane University said it is obvious that itemizing import fees would shift consumer dissatisfaction, which is the main reason for the White House's anger.

It is unclear why Temu is being so bold right now.

Another e-commerce platform, Shein, does not itemize import fees but instead reminds users: "Tariffs are included in the payment price, and you don't need to pay additional costs upon delivery."

American netizens said: "In just one day, I went from a billionaire to a farmer."

Companies importing from China, especially those dealing with everyday items like toys, artificial flowers, and tea bags, are being hit the hardest.

A Macquarie report states that 97% of imported baby strollers, 96% of artificial flowers and umbrellas, 95% of fireworks, 93% of children's coloring books, and 90% of combs come from China.

Tariffs are a "doomsday" for many small American businesses.

There is a tea shop in the university town of Ann Arbor, Michigan, that has been supplying small tea bags to McDonald's for 18 years.

Most teas are imported from China, and a bag of premium tea weighing 50 grams can sell for $33. The owner, Lisa, says that even if the tea is of excellent quality, selling it for $75 is impossible.

A family business called WS Game in Massachusetts specializes in game toys. After the tariffs, the largest three retailers in the U.S. canceled orders worth $16 million.

This 25-year-old company can last four more months.

Small American businesses generally feel that finding non-replacement suppliers is difficult, and even if they can find them, the cost is extremely high, and there is a shortage of skilled labor.

If small businesses go bankrupt, it is also bad news for Chinese factories; both sides need to weather the tough times together.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1830705346913356/

Disclaimer: This article represents the views of the author alone.