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 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 and shipped 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 faceoff between the world’s two largest economies, imposing a 145% levy on Chinese goods, causing China to hit back 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.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRussia’s secrecy after a mysterious plague lab death raises global alarm

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAfter surviving a botched lethal injection, Christa Pike faces unprecedented legal battle

FOR SUBSCRIBERSHunger in a land of plenty: Major food banks face ‘heartbreaking’ need, NBC News survey finds

FOR SUBSCRIBERSInflation and tariffs push U.S. holiday spending projections to a record $1.7 trillion

FOR SUBSCRIBERSWhat happened inside the room where officials tried to execute Christa Pike by lethal injection

FOR SUBSCRIBERSHow we reported the saga of the CIA officer and his gold-bar stash

FOR SUBSCRIBERSBrad Raffensperger gears up to oversee his final election in Georgia

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDiddy is punished following NBC News report on his VIP life in prison and contraband cellphone use

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘Too young to vote, old enough to be tear gassed’: French protesters’ anger swells

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDOJ gets aggressive in suing states that challenge Trump’s immigration policies

FOR SUBSCRIBERSJustice Department seeks criminal charge for former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘I just want to hold him’: USS Lincoln sailor to meet his 10-month-old son as ship docks

FOR SUBSCRIBERSSenate candidates run on raising Social Security taxes for higher incomes to prevent benefit cuts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRussian operation that used ChatGPT tricked schools, a politician and media, OpenAI says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump administration’s deal with Nevada fuels data center fight in governor’s race

Slide 1 of 1

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRussia’s secrecy after a mysterious plague lab death raises global alarm

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAfter surviving a botched lethal injection, Christa Pike faces unprecedented legal battle

FOR SUBSCRIBERSHunger in a land of plenty: Major food banks face ‘heartbreaking’ need, NBC News survey finds

FOR SUBSCRIBERSInflation and tariffs push U.S. holiday spending projections to a record $1.7 trillion

FOR SUBSCRIBERSWhat happened inside the room where officials tried to execute Christa Pike by lethal injection

FOR SUBSCRIBERSHow we reported the saga of the CIA officer and his gold-bar stash

FOR SUBSCRIBERSBrad Raffensperger gears up to oversee his final election in Georgia

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDiddy is punished following NBC News report on his VIP life in prison and contraband cellphone use

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘Too young to vote, old enough to be tear gassed’: French protesters’ anger swells

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDOJ gets aggressive in suing states that challenge Trump’s immigration policies

FOR SUBSCRIBERSJustice Department seeks criminal charge for former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘I just want to hold him’: USS Lincoln sailor to meet his 10-month-old son as ship docks

FOR SUBSCRIBERSSenate candidates run on raising Social Security taxes for higher incomes to prevent benefit cuts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRussian operation that used ChatGPT tricked schools, a politician and media, OpenAI says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump administration’s deal with Nevada fuels data center fight in governor’s race

Slide 1 of 1

Barclays analysts wrote in a note to clients 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 just under $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 affected 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.