Editor’s Note
This personal account highlights the growing unpredictability of package deliveries amid shifting trade policies. The author’s experience serves as a timely reminder for readers to plan ahead for important shipments, as estimated delivery windows can no longer be taken for granted.
If you have an upcoming deadline for a package delivery, even if it’s several weeks away, you might want to consider placing your order as soon as possible.
This is because, in this new era of intermittent tariffs, you cannot say when your package will be delivered, if it is delivered at all.
I learned this the hard way.
I was sure that a piece of jewelry I ordered online on February 2nd, which needed to be delivered to a friend before February 13th, would arrive by that date as it was the latest possible estimated delivery date. But, at the time of writing, it still had not been delivered, despite the initial estimated delivery of 6 to 9 business days.
It turns out my timing was terribly unfortunate. The day my order arrived in the U.S., February 4th, was the same day President Donald Trump’s new 10% tariff on goods imported from China went into effect, affecting goods valued under $800, which were previously tariff-exempt.
That meant my order, along with many, many others coming from China, had to go through more rigorous inspection with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Furthermore, to comply with the new laws, the U.S. Postal Service stopped delivering packages from China for a brief period.
It’s a small taste of the headaches Americans could experience as Trump considers more tariffs to “retaliate” against other countries. Last week, White House officials said the administration would impose reciprocal taxes starting April 2nd. Additionally, a 25% tariff on all goods from Mexico and Canada could go into effect on March 4th.
Ultimately, the administration’s temporary reversal on the de minimis exemptions may have come too late for me. The company I ordered from informed me on February 10th that my package was still being held in customs “due to unexpected delays at U.S. customs following recently enacted trade laws and tariffs.” (The company declined to comment to CNN).
My experience is not unique. The tariff chaos has trapped Americans across the country, from online shoppers like me to a Broadway show waiting for a shipment of yellow LED lights from China for its marquee sign; Trump’s tariff changes are leaving many people frustrated, with little information about when their orders will arrive.
Even without the lights, which exceeded the $800 exemption and are therefore subject to tariffs, the show debuted with its preview performance in New York over the weekend.
The bulbs, which have not left China, are not expected to arrive until next month. The show’s advertising agency was informed that the delay is a direct result of the tariffs, Miramontez told CNN.
Meanwhile, Heidi Newberg bought two t-shirts from the Chinese site Yiume on February 1st and received an email saying the order shipped on February 5th. But when she checked the tracking information on February 11th, it only said “label created.”
She received the package on February 13th, two days after her husband’s birthday, for which she bought the t-shirts.
One site, LTTStore.com, a marketplace owned by Linus Media Group, which operates the popular YouTube channel Linus Tech Tips, is informing customers that any shipment to destinations outside Canada may be “currently on temporary hold, with no known shipping date at this time,” according to a notice posted on February 10th. “This is due to recently announced U.S. tariffs affecting LTTStore products,” the notice said.
