Consumer Reactions to the Removal of the De Minimis Threshold in E-Commerce for Low-Value Goods Imported from China to the United States

Objectives The aim of this study is to identify changes in individual consumer behaviour following the removal of the de minimis threshold in e-commerce for low-value goods imported from China to the United States, with particular attention to the type of logistics service. Material and methods The study was conducted using an original questionnaire administered to 566 consumers in the United States. Results Most respondents reduced their purchases, while 17,8% shifted towards US purchases and 17,8% reduced purchases from China. Changes in purchasing behaviour were also reflected in a shift from the direct logistics service model towards hybrid and local models. The post-change choice of logistics service option was more strongly associated with previous logistics preferences than with the analysed respondent characteristics. Conclusions To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first empirical investigation of consumer responses to the removal of the de minimis threshold in e-commerce, based on primary data collected directly from U.S. consumers purchasing from the Shein and Temu platforms.