Shein Records $99M Loss After Trump Ends De Minimis Exemption
Was ending the exemption a necessary fix or a costly burden on ordinary people?
Above: Shein's company office in Guangzhou, China, on July 14. Image credit: Cheng Xin/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Ending the de minimis loophole was long overdue. For decades, bad actors have exploited cheap, low-value shipments to smuggle contraband and flood U.S. and EU markets with goods, undercutting local competition in the process. Slapping duties on these packages is a necessity if either is to have any hope of leveling the playing field, restoring fairness in trade and countering e-commerce giants gaming the system.
