Trump tariffs: Amazon's Chinese rival has 'good news' for US shoppers

Shein has lowered its US retail prices this week even as the Trump administration temporarily reduced the import duties on Chinese goods, a report has said. This move comes as the online fashion giant seeks to win back American consumers who were deterred by recent price hikes driven by tariffs, the report added. Data compiled by Bloomberg News reveals that the average price of 98 consistently tracked products on Shein's website dropped to $5.56 on Wednesday (May 14), a 13% decrease from its May 7 peak of $6.38. Amazon's Chinese rival also alerted US customers to the price reductions, promising no additional tariff-related fees at checkout. This stands in contrast to rival Temu, which had recently implemented import surcharges on direct-from-China shipments. The price adjustments follow a temporary reduction in US duties, with the general tariff on most Chinese imports falling from 145% to 30%. The "de minimis" tax on small parcels from China and Hong Kong also decreased from 120% to 54%, providing relief for platforms like Shein and Temu that rely on direct shipments for their low-cost model. However, Shein's sales had been declining since the initial price increases on April 25. According to Bloomberg Second Measure, which analyses credit and debit card transactions, Shein's US sales were down 15% for the seven days ending May 4 compared to the same period last year. Temu also experienced a 10% sales drop during that week. Customer traffic on both platforms also saw a significant downturn following the price adjustments. Similarweb data indicates that average daily traffic for the 15 days after the price hike, through May 9, was more than 20% lower than the 15 days preceding the changes.Meanwhile, US retail giants like Amazon and Walmart saw sales growth of 8.1% and 4.6%, respectively, during the May 4 week, according to Bloomberg Second Measure.