Rena Scott, a retired nurse from Virginia, often has 10 to 12 active orders from Temu, a Chinese e-commerce site. The 64-year-old has bought everything from crafting supplies to furniture and often fills her cart with multiple items, including shirts and yarn. For Scott, shopping on Temu makes sense as it cuts out middlemen like Walmart and Amazon. However, she and many other Americans now face higher prices on these affordable products due to tariffs imposed by President Trump, which are set to increase in May.
The tariffs, part of the trade war with China, are now hitting low-income consumers the hardest. Scott, who lives on disability benefits and has had to cut back on many expenses, says she can no longer afford to shop on Temu as prices for items, like a cabinet she bought for $56, have risen to over $80.
Research has shown that poorer households depend more on inexpensive Chinese goods, and they are being disproportionately affected by these price hikes.
Phillip Dampier, a consumer rights writer, is stocking up on everything from kitchen tools to furniture through Chinese e-commerce sites, anticipating future shortages due to the economic climate. He had previously been a loyal Amazon shopper but turned to sites like Temu and AliExpress after the pandemic made Amazon’s prices higher and its customer service worse.
Despite criticism of these Chinese sites for issues like poor product safety and labor conditions, many consumers feel they have little choice but to shop there because of the affordability. Scott points out that even products made in the U.S. often come from overseas labor with poor conditions, and they’re often much more expensive.
Although the Trump administration maintains that the tariffs are meant to prioritize American manufacturing, consumers are left questioning whether this approach will actually benefit them, or if it’s just pushing up their costs.
