The Chinese online stores Temu and Shein sold fewer products in the United States in the first days which followed the entry into force of an import tax on packages, which forced them to increase their prices, reveals on Wednesday an analysis of the Bloomberg news agency.
Shein sales in the United States decreased by 23% in the last week of April compared to the previous week, when parcels worth 800 dollars were still exempt from import rights. Bloomberg calculated this figure based on payment cards. At TEMU, the decline was 17%.
This decrease contrasts with higher sales recorded by both online stores at the end of March and early April in the United States. An increase linked to an anticipation of customs duties by the Americans.
-23% in April
The United States imposed customs duties of 145% on Chinese products. TEMU and Shein have therefore both increased their prices for American consumers. TEMU also announced that it would no longer send China products in the United States, but that it would use a network of local sellers. A technique that would allow him to bypass customs duties.
According to American media, around 1.36 billion packages were sent from China to the United States last year. An exemption from import rights for packages of less than $ 800 has been in place for years.
