Mother’s Day Sticker Shock: Online Shoppers Face Price Hikes Due to Tariffs
Tariffs are causing turmoil for your favorite low-cost Chinese-based e-commerce vendors like Temu and Shein. Other hit parties include TikTok Shop and Amazon, which carry Chinese sellers.
But to the surprise of many, even companies like Hallmark, which manufactures many of its products in the U.S., are raising prices due to tariffs.
Hallmark, known for its seasonal greeting cards, gift wrap, and other party goods, says it produces 75% of its products in its Kansas-based manufacturing facilities. However, if you plan to get an ornament for your loved one this year, you may be out of luck.
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Hallmark ornaments are made by suppliers in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and China.
“Some categories, like ornaments, are disproportionately impacted by the current economic climate,” Hallmark’s Keepsake Ornament Club wrote in a statement, indicating that they raised prices on May 2, 2025.
“If you have already submitted your Wish List in store, the new pricing will be reflected at pickup and you may adjust your order at the time,” the company added.
Some customers have expressed their frustration on social media platforms like TikTok, while other supporters of President Trump are calling to “boycott Hallmark” due to supposed “price-gauging.”
“Hallmark doesn’t think Kansas is in the United States, apparently,” wrote one user on X.. “Boycott them!”
The price hike comes as the Trump administration rolled back the so-called “de minimis” exemption on May 2, which allowed products sourced from China and Hong Kong under the price point of $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free. Other countries are subject to a baseline 10% tariff while reciprocal tariffs, which can run as high as 50%, are currently paused until July 8.
As economists warned, companies are now passing along tariffs to consumers like you. This is how online vendors are responding to new tariffs, and how it may impact your shopping.
What tariff price increases can you expect?
The Trump administration’s elimination of the de minimis exemption on low-value goods means U.S. consumers must pay duties to import items from the Republic of China and Hong Kong, which were previously tax-free.
The measure will impact the price of small items like socks, jewelry, and clothes, just to name some examples.
Just how much can you expect to pay with this new wave of tariffs? It depends.
- U.S. consumers can expect to pay up to a 145% tariff on items shipped from China and Hong Kong, plus any additional shipping costs or taxes.
- Goods shipped via the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will be subject to a baseline 120% tariff, or a flat $100 fee per postal item.
- This surcharge will increase to $200 per postal item on June 1, 2025, according to the White House fact sheet.
Companies are already responding to tariff hikes, with some passing the import charges to consumers. Here’s what you can expect.
Hallmark increases its prices
A digital flyer from Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments shows new prices for products sold in the 2025 Dream Book effective May 2, 2025.
(Image credit: Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments)
Hallmark, a family favorite for some, with products designed to celebrate major holidays and milestones, is upping its prices in response to Trump’s tariffs.
If your mom, sister, grandmother, or other loved one is a collector of Hallmark ornaments, expect steeper costs this year. You may also have to rethink your last-minute Mother’s Day gift idea.
Hallmark listed its 2025 Dream Book online, with collector items you can add to a Wish List to purchase items. For example, consider Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary Musical ornament valued at $61.99. Before tariffs, the ornament would have cost you $49.99. That’s a price hike of roughly 25%.
A fan of Star Wars? The Mandalorian Grogu ornament will set you back $24.99, instead of $19.99, due to tariffs. The popular Jedi is manufactured in Thailand.
The company mailed out its print 2025 Dream Book before Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods kicked in. So buyers may be surprised to see price hikes across the board.
“As we look toward the holiday season, we’ve made the necessary decision to adjust pricing on select imported products from our gift and ornament collections that are impacted by the current economic climate,” Hallmark said in a statement.
While products imported from Thailand and Sri Lanka are currently subject to a 10% baseline tariff. Once Trump’s reciprocal tariffs kick in on July 8, those will increase to 36% and 44%, respectively.
Shein is pricing in tariffs
As you may have expected, online retail giants like Shein are passing along tariff increases to consumers like you.
Shein announced that it began adjusting prices on April 25 to reflect the new import charges. As a consumer, you won’t know exactly how much you are paying in tariff shipping costs. Shein says that tariffs and import fees are included in the price you pay at checkout.
However, customers have noticed a spike in prices across all categories.
- Home and kitchen goods saw an increase of 30%, while women’s clothing increased by 8%. According to the Daily Beast, some items saw prices skyrocket.
- A bestselling set of 10 kitchen towels saw its price increase by 377%, according to CNET and Bloomberg. The set rose from $1.28 to $6.10.
Is Temu only local warehouse items now?
Chinese e-commerce platforms like Temu, Shein, and AliExpress will be impacted by tariffs.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
You can still order some products online tariff-free in time for Mother’s Day — while supplies last.
If you’re shopping from Temu, you’ll see that certain top-rated or best-selling products now have a “local” banner placed next to the item. That means the product is in a local warehouse and doesn’t require import charges. In other words, you’ll be able to avoid tariff charges while supplies last.
- This garden camping hammock will cost you $6.75. The listing indicates that there are “no import charges for all local warehouse items and no extra charges upon delivery.”
- A full-sized inflatable pool is listed for $50.03 as a Mother’s Day deal, however, there’s a warning that the product is almost sold out at local warehouses.
“All sales in the U.S. are now handled by locally based sellers, with orders fulfilled from within the country,” a Temu spokesperson said in a statement to the press. “Temu has been actively recruiting U.S. sellers to join the platform.”
Some U.S.-based customers may view Temu’s new online shopping model as slim pickings. Temu announced the business halted its shipments of Chinese-made goods to customers in the U.S. following Trump’s latest tariff move.
Amazon won’t disclose import charges
Items sold on Amazon Haul may be subject price adjustments due to tariffs.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Will your online shopping on Amazon’s Haul e-commerce site be pricier? If it is, chances are you won’t be able to know how tariffs are impacting your purchase.
An unnamed source told Punchbowl News that Amazon would consider listing import charges on certain products for customers using Haul, the retail giant’s low-cost Temu and Shein competitor.
The report came out days before Trump rolled back the de minimis exemption.
After the Trump administration condemned Amazon’s supposed idea, citing it as a “hostile and political act,” the retail giant’s spokesperson, Tim Doyle, issued a follow-up statement reported by The Washington Post denying Amazon’s plans to display import charges caused by tariffs.
“The team that runs our ultra-low-cost Amazon Haul store considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products,” said Doyle. “This was never approved and is not going to happen.” Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.
“Jeff Bezos is very nice. Terrific. He solved the problem very quickly,” President Donald Trump told reporters. “He did the right thing. He’s a good guy.”
You’ll still find deals worth under $20 on Amazon Haul, but chances are that prices have changed a bit to factor in the new import duties.
Tariffs and your wallet
As reported by Kiplinger, businesses are passing along tariff costs to consumers. The tax may be incorporated into the price of your purchase, or disclosed as a separate import charge on your receipt.
Tariffs may impact the cost of everyday goods like clothes, toys, and furniture. It’s also impacting small business owners, who may source some products from countries that were slammed by tariffs. Already, some vendors on popular e-commerce sites like Etsy are crying for help as sales have taken a hit due to new import charges.
Stay tuned to find out how new tariffs can impact your business and shopping experience this year.
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