US Slashes Tariffs on Small Chinese Parcels To 54%
The United States has rolled back steep tariffs on small parcels shipped from China, cutting the rate from 120% to 54% just days after striking a 90-day truce with Beijing. The change to the tariff, signed by President Trump, pauses an escalating trade war and brings relief to Chinese e-commerce giants like Shein and Temu, which had relied heavily on the so-called “de minimis” rule to ship low-cost items directly to American consumers. While the flat fee remains $100 per package, a planned hike to $200 was scrapped.
The tariff cut follows a broader agreement between the two countries to temporarily lower levies across the board—down from 145% to 30% for U.S. tariffs and from 125% to 10% for Chinese ones. Trump hailed the talks as a “total reset” in trade relations, saying the deal “opens up China” and that the U.S. wasn’t looking to cause harm, though he warned that tariffs could rise again if no progress is made. Markets initially jumped on the news, though some analysts expect companies to stay cautious until a longer-term deal is reached.
Meanwhile, China reportedly lifted a ban on receiving Boeing aircraft, signaling a thaw in tensions beyond trade. Still, experts warn the boom days for small parcel shipping from China may be ending. “The Golden Age is already gone,” said Jianlong Hu of Brands Factory, noting that the high new tariff, while lower than before, still forces companies to rethink logistics and possibly shift business away from the U.S.
