[Source/Observer Network Qi Qian] Local time on May 2, the United States officially terminated the "small package exemption" policy for small packages from Hong Kong and mainland China. CNN reported that this policy will affect millions of Americans, perhaps Customs is ready this time, but whether ordinary American consumers are prepared for these changes is another matter.

"The Trump administration targets Chinese e-commerce platforms, and low-income American families will suffer the most losses." CNN recently published an article stating that after former US President Trump targeted Temu and Shein, low-income American families were shocked because they "had no other choice."

According to a February study by economists from the University of California, Los Angeles and Yale University, approximately 48% of small packages were sent to the poorest areas in the United States, while only 22% of packages were sent to the wealthiest areas. Meanwhile, data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that in 2021, the spending on clothing by the lowest-income American households accounted for more than three times the proportion of their income compared to wealthy households.

The report mentioned Renae Scott, a retired nurse from Virginia, who usually receives 10 to 12 Temu packages at a time.

This 64-year-old woman almost bought everything you can think of on Temu. She regularly purchases craft supplies such as yarn and beads, as well as household items ranging from carpets to furniture. Even now, she has four shirts in her shopping cart.

For Scott, doing all her shopping on this website is "easy." She said, "All the items here are imported from overseas, so you just need to bypass middlemen like Walmart and Amazon."

Scott is not alone; Americans are enthusiastic about shopping on Temu and Shein. Data shows that in recent years, the number of small packages entering the United States through the "small package exemption" has rapidly increased, surging from approximately 140 million pieces a decade ago to over one billion last year. A previous report from the US Congress showed that the value of small packages exported from China will soar from $5.3 billion in 2018 to $66 billion in 2023.

Data shows that last year over one billion small packages entered the United States Video screenshot

However, after Trump took office in January, he ignited trade wars worldwide, causing serious harm to Americans who rely on relatively cheap Chinese products. Previously, he announced a 145% tariff on imports from China, and the "small package exemption" policy expired on May 2.

Before this, frequent customers of Temu and Shein said that in recent years, they have increasingly turned to these two websites for shopping because they feel that American-made products have become unaffordable.

CNN noticed that on April 25, Temu and Shein raised prices for a large number of items, from lawn chairs to swimsuits, before the new tariffs came into effect. The report stated that this means that even "cheap products" on Temu and Shein are no longer within reach for American consumers.

Scott told CNN, "I can't afford Temu products now, I can't afford anything in this country anymore."

Scott lives frugally on her own, having undergone an organ transplant, and hasn't eaten fast food for a year because "it's just too expensive." She drives a 2005 old car, keeps the air conditioning set around 27 degrees Celsius to save electricity. She said that the cabinet she bought for $56 before the price increase is now over $80, which is "unsustainable."

A user on the American community forum Reddit wrote that he found his shopping cart on Temu reduced from over 300 items to just two, and unless the order amount reaches at least $30, additional fees will still apply.

"Temu's goods are gone! What I saw today completely convinced me!" the user wrote, "Although local sellers had pre-bought some items in bulk, all the items I was interested in are out of stock."

57-year-old consumer rights writer Philip Darnell said that in the past two weeks, he spent about eight hours each day on Chinese e-commerce platforms, purchasing everything from paper products, kitchen utensils, portable heaters, furniture, sheets, to blankets—"basically anything you can find at JCPenney in the US."

He said he is stocking up for the next two years because he feels the economy is about to enter a downturn, and we will face shortages similar to those during the pandemic.

Darnell lives in Rochester, New York, and is a long-time Amazon customer. He said that since the pandemic, Amazon has become increasingly expensive and its customer service has deteriorated. After buying something on Temu for the first time in 2023, he started shopping on AliExpress, Shein, and even Taobao.

In the past two weeks, Darnell has been shopping on Shein and Temu to stock up CNN

Amazon was recently reported to be considering displaying tariff prices next to products. This news caused outrage at the White House, with direct criticism of Amazon's "hostile and political behavior." On April 29, Trump told reporters that he had spoken to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Subsequently, Amazon quickly responded, stating that its main shopping websites "are not considering and will not do so."

CNN reported that due to rapid development in the United States and globally in recent years, e-commerce apps such as Temu and Shein have become "thorns in the side" for some Western countries, being smeared with accusations of "environmental pollution," "lack of labor protection," and "encouraging consumer culture."

Regarding this, Scott refuted, saying that buying American-made products is not a good choice. She said that supermarkets like Walmart in the US "may use child labor" and are "exorbitantly priced." Darnell pointed out that people also tend to overshop at other American supermarkets, and blaming this solely on Temu and Shein because prices are slightly lower is somewhat biased.

Darnell also expressed skepticism about whether Trump's tariff policies could support American manufacturing, but now consumers have to bear the costs. He said, "In my opinion, the entire idea of tariffs is foolish," adding that Trump's administration "tried to bully everyone, which is wrong, and the tariff policy is also wrong."

CNN reported that although die-hard MAGA supporters still back Trump, claiming they will weather the economic storm, more and more Americans hold opposite views. A poll last month showed that 59% of the public believed Trump's policies worsened the economic situation in the United States.

This article is an exclusive piece by the Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7500209006578565673/

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