Hey y'all. This is my first time posting on this subreddit, and I wanted to create a discussion thread to talk about and develop a better understanding of what effects the current U.S. governmental regulations will have on beauty supplies shipped from Asia, specifically from mainland China and Hong Kong. I understand that Hong Kong is the typical place of export for websites such as Stylevana, YesStyle, and others.
I am a lover of sunscreen, and my holy grail product is the La Roche Posay Anthelios UVMune 400, as its ingredients and performance drastically outperform the American formulation in Anthelios Ultra Light. I normally purchase this from Stylevana for a rate of around $18-20, with shipping clocking in at about $6—for a total of ~$26—compared to the $40+ in-store American formulation. I know this is technically European skincare and not Asian, but I normally order from Asian-based sites as their prices and shipping rates are still much cheaper than European marketplaces like FrenchBeautyHub.
With De Minimis for products under $800 ending on May 2, 2025, I’m both confused and concerned about what’s coming next—and how it might jack up prices for people like me who shop these sites.
Here’s the direct excerpt from the White House:
“I also deem it necessary and appropriate to…
(a) increase the ad valorem rate of duty… from 30 percent to 90 percent;
(b) increase the per postal item containing goods duty… on or after 12:01 a.m. EDT on May 2, 2025… from 25 dollars to 75 dollars;
(c) and on or after June 1, 2025, from 50 dollars to 150 dollars.”
From my understanding, ALL orders shipped from mainland China or Hong Kong will be subjected to a $75 duty fee between the days of May 2, 2025–May 31, 2025, and then to a $150 duty fee starting on June 1, 2025. Yikes. That's… wow.
Is this the end of cheap(er) skincare from Asia for U.S. based consumers? It's rather upsetting, as Asian/European sunscreen filters are far superior to what is allowed to be sold inside of the U.S., given the FDA has not approved new active ingredients for sunscreen products since 1999. I'm sure this sentiment is the case for the majority of Asian vs American skincare as well.
Would now be the time to order as much of my favorite products as I can feasible afford, before they become exponentially more expensive?
I'd love to hear insights from other users of this subreddit, and possibly some potential solace (e.g., is there a way anyone knows that this could be loopholed around?)
Thanks, and I hope y'all are well.
TLDR:
Are we, and our wallets, cooked??
by Vivaciious