Temu customers in the U.S. hit with steep import charges due to tariffs

Chinese online retailer Temu, known for its ultralow prices, is hitting U.S. customers with hefty import charges due to President Donald Trump’s trade war.

Tariffs imposed by the Trump administration have in some cases more than doubled the prices of many items on the e-commerce marketplace.

A three-pack of men’s athletic shorts advertised as on sale for $23.61 with free shipping came out to $56.36 after a $32.75 import charge, according to an NBC News review of product listings.

A notice on Temu’s checkout page says that “items imported into the U.S. may be subject to import charges.”

“These charges cover all customs-related processes and cost, including import fees paid to customs authorities on your behalf. The amount listed may not represent the actual amount paid to customs authorities,” the notice said.

Some items that are shipped from the U.S., yet still manufactured in China, showed a much higher price tag than those made abroad. One domestically shipped blender retailed for $34.19 and had no import fees, NBC News found. A similar blender manufactured and shipped from China cost only $5.94, but it came with an added $8.18 in import charges for U.S. customers — more than the price of the item itself.

In many cases, Temu items that are shipped from domestic warehouses are now labeled “local,” with many appearing at the top of the search page for U.S. users.

Temu didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Bloomberg earlier reported on the Temu price hikes.

Trump has initiated an ongoing face-off between the world’s two largest economies, imposing a 145% levy on Chinese goods, causing China to hit back at with a 125% levy on items from the U.S. On Monday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that it would be up to Beijing to de-escalate trade tensions.

Barclays analysts wrote in a note to clients on Monday that the dueling tariffs are so steep that they amount to “a trade embargo on both sides.” While some goods are “currently being re-routed to non-China ports” to gain access to the American market, “a large volume of goods will likely just not find their way through,” they said.

U.S. Temu shoppers, meanwhile, have voiced frustration on social media. One X user shared a photo of an online Temu shopping cart where they were charged $90 in import fees on an order of $64 worth of merchandise. Another shared a photo of their cart where Temu charged $135 in import fees on $86 worth of merchandise.

Another X user joked: “Temu needs to put a ‘Trump did This’ sticker next to the new import charges line at checkout.”

It does not appear that other mega Chinese online retailers like TikTok Shop have been impacted by import fees.

Both Shein and Temu had issued notices to customers on their websites saying price adjustments would start April 25 “due to recent changes in global trade rules and tariffs” that have raised operating expenses.