eBay and Vestiaire Collective are seeking exemption from Trump’s tariffs

Last month, Suzanne Smith Darley felt great. She had just bought a second-hand Chanel handbag from a Japanese eBay seller for $800. This was stolen compared to the original asking price of $1,400. About a week later, I received an email that crushed her. DHL had requested a $142 fee for US tariffs before delivering a worn-out medallion tote to Smith Darley’s Atlanta gateway. “It’s going to Japan, spending your whole life and literally in the trash,” she says. “I want to choose it from the garbage, and I get this huge tariff. That’s ridiculous.”

Customs President Donald Trump imposed this year Caused higher prices and reduced choiceand some shoppers are surprised to learn that taxes apply to second-hand items.

Some online markets including eBay and Aggregationurges Washington, D.C. lawmakers and officials to exempt used items from import duties, including those imposed by President Trump, according to industry executives. “We’re still a mature industry, but we’re the future,” says Rachel Kibbe, CEO of American Circular Textiles, an advocacy group representing around 30 organizations, including Vestiaire Collective. “We want priority trade treatment for second-hand imports.”

However, according to someone near the White House who sought anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussion, the second-hand sculptures do not appear to be found in the work. The exemption will likely be that the importer will try to hand over the new items being used, creating an additional enforcement burden for the government That’s already It’s grown thin Trump’s “government efficiency” initiative.

Historians say used imports from Ancient Jewels For outdated smartphones, they are always subject to our customs duties. They note that the concept of second-hand goods obligations goes back at least to medieval trade. But Trump has applied tariffs to more countries and increased fees Historically high level. This combination has led people to question the benefits of tariffs and has increased entrance calls. “This has never happened before,” says Andrew Wender Cohen, a historian at Syracuse University who studies trade history.

Trump explains that his policies are necessary for increased Domestic manufacturingand it is possible to see that the costs of discouraging imports of new clothing and gadgets could encourage some companies to move at least part of their manufacturing to the US. It is much more difficult to imagine the reward from applying those same tariffs to used goods destined for new homes rather than landfills.

Cohen says a reasonable approach is to maintain tariffs on used items, but at a low rate, which is considered a risk posed to domestic manufacturing.

Some Second hand item There is no choice. Newer versions may not be attractive, or products may be discontinued. Overseas, it can be inevitable for niche items such as trading cards and second-hand handbags. Circulation economy Advocates argue that reuse can provide environmental benefits by reducing waste, even if it involves items across borders. “There should be a policy that encourages people to choose used items first,” says Liisa Jokinen, founder of the vintage clothing app GEM.

“Pre-love”

New supply chains have emerged as consumers seek out more sustainable products for the environment and their wallets. Merchants are now renovating and reselling used items such as clothing and electronics, and the number of online markets is growing, making it easier for Americans to source these items from almost anywhere in the world.

Earlier this year, eBay’s Japanese unit Disclosure Demand for second-hand cameras surged as people panic shops before Trump’s tariffs took effect. Around the world, approximately 40% of eBay’s total sales are What is that It is called “pre-loved and renovated items.”