Small businesses are facing sticker shock from new U.S. tariffs on international packages under $800, after the Trump administration ended a long-standing exemption, The Wall Street Journal writes.
The change, applied to Chinese goods in May and globally in August, is disrupting e-commerce deliveries and driving up costs for unsuspecting buyers.
Anthony DeSousa, who runs a pizza shop in Estes Park, Colorado, was billed more than $1,300 in tariffs and brokerage fees on a $640 shipment of oven parts from Canada—costs so high he declined the package.
Major carriers FedEx, UPS and DHL say they are seeing more shipments delayed for customs clearance, with customers confused by surprise fees. Nearly 90 foreign postal services have stopped shipping to the U.S. altogether.
Some sellers are covering tariffs upfront to prevent delivery shocks, but others are passing them to buyers. The Supreme Court is reviewing the legality of Trump’s tariff policies.
