Temu

As US sales of Shein and Temu plummet, some sustainability advocates make the case for an unlikely win in the movement toward conscious consumption under President Donald Trump’s protectionist trade policies.

As the de minimis loophole is set to close in the US, the fate of fast-fashion purveyors Shein and Temu, who announced price increases effective today, hangs in the balance.

With Google’s online advertising business declared an illegal monopoly and Meta at risk of spinning off Instagram, the digital advertising market could be headed for an overhaul with a looming recession in the backdrop.

President Trump’s sky-high tariffs on China, along with the end of the de minimis tax loophole, have left American fashion businesses scrambling. BoF unpacks the challenges ahead as companies try to navigate the situation.

‘There’ll be a transition cost, and transition problems, but in the end it’s going to be a beautiful thing,’ Trump said Thursday during a Cabinet meeting. ‘We’re in very good shape.’

President Trump’s ruling this week to end the de minimis tax loophole could be a bust for Shein and Temu, but a boon for all the mid-priced brands they’ve ripped off over the years.

Prices for the low-cost retailers’ assortments are expected to rise for US consumers after President Trump ended a key trade loophole that allowed low-value packages from China to enter the the country duty-free.

President Trump is considering changes to the US “de minimis” exemption on import tariffs, which has become controversial due to its role in trade imbalances and the rapid growth of Chinese e-commerce platforms.

BoF looks back at the news that changed the industry this year — and will define the fashion agenda in 2025.

Spending has been sluggish, but retailers have a chance to make up for lost time in a compressed holiday season - if they can find an answer to their online competition.