TikTok creator @pwinpudding specializes in ‘haul videos,’ specifically all things pink, pastel, and cute. Her videos show a collection of packages received from sites like the Chinese retailer AliExpress, as well as Amazon and the Japanese retailer Daiso and the accessories, clothes, plushies, and other items she took out of them. In her most recent AliExpress haul video, one thing has changed: she says she bought all the items on her wishlist “in anticipation for the tariffs.”
On April 2nd, President Donald Trump announced a new round of sweeping tariffs that will impact just about everything, and goods from China are expected to be among the hardest hit. The era of ultra-cheap hauls of low-cost items from retailers that manufacture their goods in China could be coming to a close.
Another TikTok creator, Donna Leah (@donnaleahful), frequently creates haul videos for all her thrifty finds at stores like AliExpress and Shein, as well as Dollar Tree and Ross. Donna also posted about stocking up, and tells The Verge she’s frustrated with tariff-related price hikes. “I love doing haul videos, and sharing affordable finds is such a big part of how I connect with my followers,” Donna says. “But when the prices jump so drastically, it kind of kills the excitement. And honestly, it makes me think twice about buying anything at all.”
“I’ve been slowly steering toward more upcycling, repurposing, and thrifting content — taking old things and giving them new life,” Donna tells The Verge. “I think we’ll be seeing fewer AliExpress or Shein Hauls in my content going forward, just because the reality is: it’s only going to get more expensive.”
Earlier this year, the Trump administration announced plans to close the de minimis exemption, which allows packages valued at under $800 to enter the US duty-free. Shein and Temu will no longer be able to take advantage of this provision starting May 2nd, as low-cost packages from China and Hong Kong will face a fee of 30 percent of their value or $25 per postal item if they’re shipped through international postal services like the USPS. Parcels sent by other services, like DHL, will be subject to the duties they previously avoided.
These fees will likely result in Shein and Temu goods costing buyers in the US more money, which means the days of buying a blouse or pants for a price in the single digits may be over. (Those low prices come at a cost. Investigations into both Shein and Temu have found labor issues.)
Even so, some creators appear unmoved by the possibility of rising prices. “As of now, I have no plans to stop my Shein or Temu hauls,” Clarissa Shah (@doctor.clarissa), a dentist who moonlights as a style influencer, tells The Verge. “My audience primarily consists of young women who want to look fashionable while working within a budget. Even though the tariffs may increase the pricing on these marketplaces, the clothing still remains more budget-friendly compared to other traditional high-end retail brands.”
We still don’t know what the cost of Shein and Temu goods will look like — other than that they’re going up — but we do know that they’re far from the only retailers that will be affected by the Trump administration’s sweeping tariffs. As noted by the Associated Press, around 97 percent of clothing purchased in the US is imported from Asia, according to data from the American Apparel & Footwear Association. That could drive up the price of clothes from Walmart, Gap, Lululemon, Nike, and many other popular brands, too.
