Strategies for E-commerce Sellers to Adapt to US Policy Changes

"Cancel today, resume tomorrow", I believe this is the true feeling of many USe-commerce sellers on the recent changes in US trade policies. They may be busy changing prices in the last second, and have to study and confirm new policies in the next second. At the beginning of February, what are the main changes in relevant trade policies? How shoulde-commerce sellers adapt to the situation?

Ⅰ. Trade policy changes and their impact

1. February 4: The United States imposes a 10% tariff on China and cancels small exemptions below $800

US President Trump signed an executive order to impose a 10% tariff on goods imported from China and cancel the US tariff exemption for small goods valued at less than US$800, which took effect on February 4.

Obviously, the cost of exporting to the United States has increased directly, first of all, thelogistics price has increased, and related services such as customs clearance have also begun to charge extra fees. In particular, stores that take the route of small profits but quick turnover will be more affected, such as Temu and Shein merchants, whose profit margins have been greatly compressed, and there is even the possibility of considerable losses.

2. February 7: Restore small exemptions below $800

However, less than a week later, on February 7, local time, the US announced the restoration of this tax-free threshold, and the tax-free treatment will continue to be valid until "adequate systems are established to fully and promptly process and collect tariff revenues."

This change not only reduced the cost ofparcels, which had just been raised, but also affected the rise in Temu's stock price and the recovery of Shein's valuation. For low-priced small packages, this change has restored price competitiveness, increased the success rate of product trial orders, and provided a certain buffer period for manye-commerce sellers.

3. On February 4, USPS announced that it would stop accepting parcels from mainland China and Hong Kong, China, but it resumed accepting parcels on the 1st.

The U.S. federal government agency, the United States Postal Service (USPS), issued a notice on February 4, announcing that it would suspend accepting inbound packages from China Post and Hong Kong Post. However, on February 5, the USPS released the latest announcement on its website, indicating that it would continue to accept packages.

Although the USPS's suspension of delivery first affected platforms such as Temu and Shein and their merchants, many sellers and related companies have reduced their use of USPS in recent years and turned to looking for more cost-effective international shipping solutions.

Ⅱ. How cane-commerce sellers adapt to changing circumstances?

Although the current policy is still relatively favorable, according to the speed and degree of change in the trade situation in early February, who knows what new policy will be introduced tomorrow? This style of changing policies every day and jumping back and forth cannot stop the general trend of policy tightening, and it also reflects the uncertainty of the current market and supervision. No matter how the overall policy changes,e-commerce sellers can still "remain unchanged in the face of changes" and improve risk resistance:

1. Multi-point layout to share risks

We can find and develop alternative markets based on current preferential trade policies and transaction trends with other countries and regions, or even a comprehensive layout of multiple markets and multiple platforms, share risks with a multi-store model, and help increase revenue.

However, whether it is a third-partye-commerce platform or an independent store, there is a need and necessity for operational security. If there is a problem with the network, operations and payment can be easily hindered. You can use a proxy to provide anti-association, stable connection, and accurate positioning network security for the store. For example, IPFoxy's high-purity independent IP can meet the needs, and there are 200+ regional options to help localize store operations.

2. Strengthen "localization"

Choosing to produce or ship locally in the target market can effectively reduce the risks of customs declaration and tariffs, shorten transportation time, improve the shopping experience through faster delivery, and thereby accumulate customer base.

For example, the recent tariff increase is actually aimed at countries such as Canada. Shopify, headquartered in Canada, quickly launched a "local purchase function" to withstand the impact, which is also a manifestation of strengthening localization.

3. Increase product added value

Sufficient premium means sufficient room for profit compression and higher risk resistance. It is difficult to resist policy risks by relying solely on price competitiveness, especially in tense situations. Low-price competition may only bring short-term dividends. Therefore, strengthening brand building and increasing product added value will have more long-term benefits.

Ⅲ. Final Thoughts

Policy changes bring not only challenges but also new opportunities.e-commerce sellers need to enhance their competitiveness and respond flexibly.