Shein hikes US prices ahead of tariffs: 10-piece kitchen towel set jumps by 377%

The prices for the international shopping giant Shein have hiked US prices on a wide range of products from kitchen essentials to women’s clothing ahead of the new tariffs targeting small parcel imports directly from China. Soon after the increase in prices, American shoppers expressed that they are already feeling the impact.  

According to reports, the price increase hit hard last Friday with several categories seeing dramatic spikes. Health and beauty products saw an average price surge of whopping 51 percent with several items more than doubling in cost overnight.  

Home, especially kitchen products, along with toys, experienced an average increase of more than 30 percent while certain items such as 10-piece kitchen towel set hiked by a shocking 377 percent. Not only this, but women’s clothing which is a core product category for Shein recorded an increase of around 8 percent.  

Experts are saying that these changes are an early warning sign of the wider impacts American consumers could face as a result of the escalating trade tensions between China and USA. E-commerce giants like Shein as well as Temu are now struggling with a new 120 percent tariff, after the US’s decision to end the long standing ‘de minimis’ exemption which earlier allowed small shipments from China or Hong Kong to enter tariff-free. 

Additionally, from May 2 onwards, the US will raise the per-item postal fee for incoming shipments to $100, with another increase anticipated after June 1, adding more to the already build up pressure. It is said that these moves are aimed at stopping the flood of low-cost imports but are already triggering price hikes across renowned online platforms, eventually passing the costs onto customers.

The political discourse around inflation is also continuing and as recently as April 21, President Donald Trump claimed that there is virtually no inflation and cited decreasing energy prices-a statement which experts claim now seems disconnected from the reality several shoppers are facing at the checkout screen.  

As the tariffs will soon take full effect, shoppers can further expect even steeper prices in the coming weeks unless companies find ways to shift supply claims or absorb the costs.