Amazon Faces the Worst News in the United States and Kroger Rubs Their Hands

E-commerce in the United States is going through a period of changes that directly impact consumers. Amazon, Shein, and Temu have increased the prices of hundreds of products following the recent imposition of tariffs on Chinese imports by Donald Trump's administration. Although the measure aims to protect domestic manufacturing, the first visible effect has been the rise in prices of essential items on the most popular platforms.

The Impact of Tariffs on Amazon

Recent data show that since mid-April, Amazon has raised the prices of approximately 1,000 products. The average increase is around 30%, according to SmartScout, although Amazon claims that most of the increases are more moderate, around 6%. The company points out that the affected products represent only 1% of its main catalog.

Among the items that experienced increases are tech accessories and women's clothing: recognized brands like Anker raised prices on about 25% of their products. According to Scott Needham, CEO of SmartScout, "nothing explains this price hike better than the new tariffs." The situation confirms that importers are passing the extra cost directly to consumers.

Price Increases Also at Shein and Temu

Amazon is not the only one affected. Chinese platforms Shein and Temu have also had to adjust their prices after the closure of a legal loophole that allowed low-value products to enter without tariffs.

CBS News reported specific cases, such as a pair of sneakers on Temu that went from costing $14 to almost double: $27, in just one week. The pressure from the new import costs has forced all these retailers to apply immediate increases to keep their profitability in the competitive U.S. market.

Experts warn that manufacturing in China may become unviable if tariffs remain high. However, moving production to other countries would require billion-dollar investments and years of restructuring, which is a considerable risk for companies that depend on global trade.

Uncertainty That Complicates the Future

Although Donald Trump recently declared that there could be a substantial reduction in tariffs after negotiations with China, Beijing authorities quickly denied those claims. According to them, there are no formal talks underway, prolonging the climate of instability. A report from Oxford Economics concludes that, although there is a possibility of a tariff reduction, there is no defined timeline for it.

This keeps companies on edge and consumers facing higher prices in their daily purchases. As long as trade tensions between the United States and China persist, platforms like Amazon, Shein, and Temu will continue to reflect the consequences of this tariff war in their prices. This way, they force consumers to rethink their purchasing decisions and explore the local market, which may be more competitive.