Consumer electronics from China are getting more expensive for both consumers and businesses, as Trump’s 10% import tariffs take effect. Additionally, removal of a small-value exemption on existing tariffs means some products are now subject to import taxes as high as 45%.
Courier companies are also applying their own collection fees on top of the tariffs, further increasing costs – and some companies are pausing imports while they figure out what to do …
As of this week, import duty of 10% is payable on the value of all products imported from China. Trump also removed a long-standing exemption on any existing duties on shipment values below $800. This means that taxes and fees are being levied on even the smallest of purchases, in some cases exceeding the price originally paid for the items.
This applies to both consumers buying products from China directly and businesses like Apple whose products are made in China. Unlike last time, where the taxes were imposed on specific product categories, and Apple was able to lobby for exemptions, the new tariffs apply universally.
Wired reports that consumers are now receiving noticed from courier companies advising that their packages cannot be delivered until they have paid the tariffs and admin fees for collecting them.
Over the past 24 hours, US shoppers have reported receiving notices from UPS and DHL stating they owed between $20 to over $50 […] DHL, UPS, and Amazon did not respond to requests for comment from WIRED. A spokesperson for FedEx said the company was working on helping customers adapt to what they called “substantial changes resulting from the recent tariff announcements.”
Small businesses are also struggling to respond, with keyboard company Qwertykeys telling The Verge that it has suspended US sales for now.
The keyboard company Qwertykeys has temporaily halted all shipments to the United States in response to President Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods going into effect. The company says it’s working on ways to mitigate shipping costs and that the tariffs have made it so that “all keyboards from China to the U.S. are now subject to 45% tariffs at full value.”
Apple is also potentially getting caught up in retaliatory action by China against US companies.
Photo by qiwei yang on Unsplash
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