• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for

2

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

3

The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow

1

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for

2

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

3

The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
EconomyFortune Intelligence

Etsy, eBay, and Shein reel as ‘de minimis’ tariff exemption ends, adding hefty charges of up to 50%

Ashley Lutz
By
Ashley Lutz
Ashley Lutz
Executive Director, Editorial Growth
Down Arrow Button Icon
Ashley Lutz
By
Ashley Lutz
Ashley Lutz
Executive Director, Editorial Growth
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 29, 2025, 12:07 PM ET
Etsy shares are down following tariff headwinds.
Etsy shares are down following tariff headwinds.Photo Illustration by Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The end of the U.S. de minimis tariff exemption marks a major shift for both consumers and retailers, particularly those involved in cross-border e-commerce.

Recommended Video

Consumers who have grown accustomed to buying goods under $800 from major international platforms like Shein, Temu, and overseas sellers on Amazon, Etsy, or eBay will now face unexpected import charges—sometimes a flat duty of $80 to $200, or rates ranging from 10% to 50% of the parcel’s value. For shoppers, this means “sticker shock”: orders that used to be tax-free will now carry hefty new costs at checkout or even on delivery, whether paid upfront by retailers or passed directly to buyers.

E-commerce and retail company stocks, especially those heavily reliant on international low-cost shipping, have been hurt by the end of the U.S. de minimis tariff exemption. Specific companies such as Shein, Temu, Etsy, and eBay saw significant drops or disruptions, while Amazon and Walmart faced less direct impact as their import and fulfillment models differ.

Impact by company

Shein & Temu

  • Shein’s U.S. daily active users fell 25% and Temu’s dropped 52% after the exemption ended for China in May, with both forced to raise prices and alter logistics.
  • Shein’s weekly sales dropped by up to 23% year-over-year in June, while Temu’s dipped by 33%.
  • Both platforms had to restructure operations and reduce aggressive marketing.
  • Shades of Temu’s parent company, PDD Holdings Inc., have fallen 4% this week. Shein is not publicly traded.

Etsy

  • Etsy shares fell 8.4% on August 25, immediately after the executive order to end the exemption. Over the last five trading sessions, Etsy stock is down 14%.
  • Some international sellers on Etsy are pausing U.S. sales due to uncertainty and costs, threatening Etsy’s revenue stream.

eBay

  • eBay shares are down 6%, underperforming the broader Nasdaq over the last week.
  • U.S. buyers now face added import taxes for eBay purchases, leading to interruptions and higher costs.

Shopify

  • Shopify shares also declined by 1%, less than Etsy and eBay, suggesting lighter but still negative exposure to the change.

Amazon & Walmart

  • Amazon has less direct exposure to de minimis changes, with the impact focused more on third-party sellers and drop-shipped products.
  • Walmart, with more domestic inventory and fulfillment centers, may benefit as shoppers look for local alternatives.

Broader retail trends

  • Higher international shipping costs and suspended international parcel services (by DHL, UPS, and various foreign postal services) are hitting marketplace sellers and raising consumer costs.
  • Discount retailers may lose market share to U.S.-based logistics firms.
  • Stocks tied closely to international, low-value shipping suffered the most, with Etsy, eBay, Shein, and Temu reporting sharp declines and operational disruptions in response to the policy change.

For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing. 

Subscribe to Fortune Gulf Brief. Every Tuesday, this new newsletter delivers clear-eyed, authoritative intelligence on the deals, decisions, policies, and power shifts shaping one of the world’s most consequential regions, written for the people who need to act on it. Sign up here.
About the Author
Ashley Lutz
By Ashley LutzExecutive Director, Editorial Growth

Ashley Lutz is an executive editor at Fortune, overseeing the Success, Well, syndication, and social teams. She was previously an editorial leader at Bankrate, The Points Guy, and Business Insider, and a reporter at Bloomberg News. Ashley is a graduate of Ohio University's Scripps School of Journalism.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Economy

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Economy

Canada celebrates new Detroit River bridge connecting Ontario to Michigan as 50% tariff feud keeps American officials away
North AmericaTariffs
Canada celebrates new Detroit River bridge connecting Ontario to Michigan as 50% tariff feud keeps American officials away
By The Associated Press, Mike Householder and Ed WhiteJuly 24, 2026
3 hours ago
dario
AIEconomics
Anthropic’s head of economics just explained why we haven’t seen a white-collar bloodbath — yet
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 24, 2026
4 hours ago
j
AINvidia
Nvidia, Microsoft lead call for open-weight AI models after Kimi
By Michael Shepard and BloombergJuly 24, 2026
5 hours ago
Trump’s latest import taxes could set a precedent for a ‘broad tariff generator’ on anything a president wants to target, expert warns
LawTariffs
Trump’s latest import taxes could set a precedent for a ‘broad tariff generator’ on anything a president wants to target, expert warns
By Jason MaJuly 24, 2026
5 hours ago
Wealthy man in car
SuccessMillionaires
120 millionaires have signed a letter begging the British government to tax them more: ‘We can afford it’
By Emma BurleighJuly 24, 2026
7 hours ago
shop
EnergyInflation
Oil at $100 is pushing up costs from gas pumps to grocery aisles
By Cathy Bussewitz, Mae Anderson, Anne D'Innocenzio and The Associated PressJuly 24, 2026
10 hours ago

Most Popular

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
Big Tech
Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
By Sydney LakeJuly 23, 2026
2 days ago
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
Economy
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
By Eleanor PringleJuly 24, 2026
15 hours ago
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
Economy
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 23, 2026
1 day ago
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
Real Estate
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 22, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 24, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 24, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 24, 2026
13 hours ago
Turns out Dead Internet Theory was right: AI agents are eating the Web, growing by nearly 8,000% and rewiring the Internet's business model
AI
Turns out Dead Internet Theory was right: AI agents are eating the Web, growing by nearly 8,000% and rewiring the Internet's business model
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 23, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.