President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday that puts a pause on his closing of the de minimis trade exemption.

U.S. President Donald Trump this week shut a trade loophole that has been used to ship low-value packages duty-free from China, the "de minimis" exemption on import tariffs. Trump's halt to Section 321 de minimis is part of his implementation of an additional 10% tariff on China and 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico,

Online shopping giants Temu and Shein have seen a sustained drop in sales in the week after US President Donald Trump scrapped a duty exemption that their small parcels benefit from, suggesting a chilling effect on American consumers who previously flocked to their ultra-cheap wares.

Online shopping giants Temu and Shein have experienced a sustained decline in US sales following President Donald Trump’s announcement to revoke the duty-free exemption on small parcels under $800 from China.

The Trump administration move to stop low-cost imports entering the U.S. tariff-free is likely to hit fast fashion retailer Shein harder than online dollar-store Temu, thanks to Temu's wider product range and moves to change its shipping strategy.

Shein’s US sales fell 16 per cent to 41 per cent for five days from February 5 while Temu’s fell as much as 32 per cent.