Trump Tariffs 2025: How It Affects Amazon Sellers

With trump tariffs rolling out new duties (as high as 145% on Chinese imports, although by 14th May 2025, Trump has reduced this to 30% for 90 days, and China’s retaliatory tariffs dropped to 10% from 125% as negotiations continue), today’s sourcing, pricing, and inventory plans may not be suitable tomorrow.

This article brings you the very latest on which countries are hit and when and how Amazon is responding to these tariffs so you’ll be fully prepared. 

We’ll show you how to jump ahead with proactive pricing strategies and supply-chain planning, so that you can have a fighting chance once these duties take effect. We also have a Tariff Forecast Tool to help you estimate your new landed costs once these tariffs are in full swing.

When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win. Example, when we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, don’t trade anymore-we win big. It’s easy!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 2, 2018

Overview

• What Are the Trump Tariffs 2025 Reciprocal Tariffs, and Who Pays What?
• How Much Will Tariffs Add to a $10 Cotton T-Shirt from China? – FREE Real-Time Tariff Forecast Tool
• How Will Tariff Hikes Drive Amazon Prices Up?
• What Immediate Effects Of Trump Tariffs Will Amazon Sellers See?
• What Pricing & Inventory Strategies Should Sellers Use?
• Why Use BQool’s AI Repricer When Tariffs Hit?
• How Can Sellers Source Alternatives Long-Term?
• How to Prepare for Prime Day & Q4 During Tariff Instability?
• What Next Steps Should Amazon Sellers Take?
• Frequently Asked Questions

 

What Are the Trump Tariffs 2025, and Who Pays What?

A tariff is a tax on imported goods, typically charged as a percentage of the item’s declared value. It directly increases your landed cost—the total expense of bringing goods into the U.S., including the product price, shipping, insurance, and duties. For Amazon sellers, factoring tariffs into your pricing and profit margins is essential to avoid unexpected costs. Note: tariffs are not cumulative on a single shipment (White House, 2025); only the highest applicable rate applies. If you see multiple tariff measures for one country, they reflect separate policies—not stackable charges on the same product (White House, 2025).

Why Is Trump Bringing Back Tariffs?

Trump’s 2025 tariff push is part of his broader strategy to protect U.S. interests and rebalance trade. His key goals include:

• Shielding American industries by making imports, especially from China, more expensive.
• Bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. by discouraging overseas production.

While these tariffs aim to boost domestic growth, they also raise costs for Amazon sellers who import inventory.

Which Amazon Business Models Are Hit Hardest by Tariffs?

Business models that rely on importing goods are most affected:

• Private Label businesses are heavily impacted due to bulk imports and direct exposure to new duties.
• Wholesale businesses would be affected by rising supplier costs that often pass through to resellers.
• Dropshipping (from overseas): Tariffs and customs delays hurt pricing and speed.
• Handmade (if imported): Sourcing from overseas artisans can lead to unexpected costs.

If your model depends on foreign suppliers, tariffs can shrink margins fast. 

Below are a few key concepts that sellers should know about tariffs:

• HTS Codes: Harmonized Tariff Schedule codes classify products for duty assessment. Accurate HTS classification ensures you pay the correct rate.
• De minimis Threshold: Small-value shipments (currently $800 in the U.S.) may be exempt, though some retaliatory measures have revoked de minimis for specific imports (e.g., from China).
• Additional Duties: Beyond these reciprocal tariffs, products may face Section 301, Section 232, anti-dumping, or countervailing duties based on origin and product type.

The table below spotlights a hand‑picked set of countries for Amazon sellers so you can see how current (and looming) U.S. reciprocal tariffs might affect each one. (Source: Trump 2.0 Tariff Tracker):

Legend (status indicators):
🟢 Implemented – Tariff is currently in effect
🟡 Delayed – Tariff has been scheduled but postponed
🟠 Threatened – Tariff has been proposed or announced, not yet applied

¹ From April 10–July 9, 2025, country-specific rates (except China) revert to baseline 10%.
² Exec. Orders 14245 (Mar 24) & 14257 (Apr 2, 2025).
³ Threatened secondary tariffs on oil-linked imports (Mar 30, 2025).
⁵ Under USMCA effective Mar 7, 2025.

How Much Will Tariffs Add to a $10 Cotton T-Shirt from China?

We’ve seen multiple changes in the tariff rates the U.S. has imposed on China—and vice versa—since President Trump took office. The trade war continues, leaving sellers on uncertain ground. But fret not—we’ve developed a tool that lets you calculate your landed cost in seconds, with a slider to adjust the percentage based on the latest tariff rates.

How it works

1. Select your source country.

2. Enter the figures that match your order.

3. Drag the slider to preview any tariff hike (or rollback).

4. Watch the Total landed cost update instantly.

Example: Leave the defaults (China at 20 %) and one $10 shirt lands at $14.34. Push the slider to 50 % and the same shirt jumps to $17.59, before freight and overhead.

How Will Tariff Hikes Drive Amazon Prices Up?

When Cost Of Goods Sold (COGS) jumps overnight, sellers must either:

• Increase listing prices (risking lower conversion).
• Absorb costs (risking profitability).
• Pivot sourcing (taking time and resources).

From now on, nearly every new shipment will roll in under higher tariffs so list prices will climb each time sellers restock. Expect the first noticeable jumps on fast‑moving categories like small kitchen appliances and apparel; slower sellers will follow as their pre‑tariff stock runs out. If you haven’t done so yet, lock in new cost projections, refresh your repricing rules, and explore alternate suppliers.

What Immediate Effects Of Trump Tariffs Will Amazon Sellers See?

90-Day Restock Limit: Seller & ASIN Specific

Back in 2020, Amazon set inventory limits, but in 2025, those limits are more specific, now applied per seller and per ASIN, so you’ll need to keep a closer eye on each individual product. Back in 2020, Amazon set general inventory limits across your whole account. In 2025, those limits are stricter and more targeted—applied to both your seller account and each product (ASIN). If one item has more than 90 days of supply, you can’t send in more, even if Amazon says you’re running low. These changes may be tied to rising tariffs and early prep for Prime Day. (Source: Marketplace Prep, 2025)

How the New Limits Work

Amazon now enforces a 90-day inventory limit per ASIN at its fulfillment centers. This is based on your Days of Supply, which measures how long your stock will last using sales data from the past 7–14 days. Since this is a lagging metric, it may not reflect recent changes like restocks, product launches, or sales spikes.

If Amazon estimates that your supply won’t last through your usual lead time, it flags the ASIN as Low Stock—but still may block you from sending more inventory if the Days of Supply metric hasn’t caught up. This can leave your listing stuck: flagged as too low to meet demand, yet too high to restock.

Even updating lead times or following restock suggestions may not help immediately. Until Amazon’s system recalculates, you might be temporarily locked out from replenishing key ASINs.

Updated FBA Capacity Limits

Amazon may reduce your FBA storage limits with little to no advance notice. In some cases, sellers have seen their capacity drop by as much as 70% compared to the previous month.

If this happens, you could find yourself over the new limit immediately, unable to send in more inventory, and even required to remove a portion of your current stock within just a few days.

These changes can significantly impact your inventory planning, so it’s important to monitor your capacity usage closely and have a backup strategy in place.

What You Can Do

To work around FBA limits, sellers can:

• Clear excess inventory to free up space for better-selling ASINs.

• Request more space through Capacity Manager.

• Use Amazon Warehousing & Distribution (AWD) to store overflow and restock FBA gradually.

HS-code approvals for certain ASINs, causing delays.

New HTS/HS-code requirements force sellers to submit precise tariff classifications before FBA check-in, raising the risk of misclassification penalties, shipment rejections, and customs hold-ups (Carbon6). Reuters likewise notes that the expanded Section 301 duties have already led to longer customs clearance times and higher logistics costs, delaying many inbound shipments (Reuters).

What Pricing & Inventory Strategies Should Sellers Use?

• Pricing Tactics: Build tariffs into your COGS model; stage small price increases (2–5%); lead early and don’t wait for competitors to run dry.
• Inventory Management: Clear slow-moving stock before long-term storage fees hit.
• Diversify Sourcing: Check out suppliers in Vietnam, India, Mexico, or near-shore U.S to spread risk of relying on only one supplier.
• Explore Amazon business models like Online or Retail Arbitrage business models to diversify risk, as lead times with sourcing would not be an issue when you buy from online and retail stores. Rather than build up from scratch, check for which items are already selling and jump on the bandwagon. However, if U.S. retailers raise prices due to upstream import tariffs, it could reduce profitable arbitrage opportunities and shrink seller margins over time.

Why Use BQool’s AI Repricer When Tariffs Hit?

• Sell-Through Rate Condition: Available to FBA sellers, adjust your listing price based on each item’s real-time sell-through rate, so you hit the optimal turnover point even as costs fluctuate.
• Competitor Analysis: Monitor the top 20 competing offers for each ASIN, along with their inventory status (in stock, backordered, etc.), to help you target the Buy Box at the best possible price without eroding your margins.
• Inventory Age Condition: Filters for ASINs that have sat in your FBA warehouse for more than 90 days and apply targeted repricing to clear over-aged stock before storage fees and restock caps bite.

How Can Sellers Source Alternatives Long-Term?

According to Amazon expert Steven Pope (My Amazon Guy Podcast, 2025), Vietnam and India stand out for their high-quality output and lower costs, especially as trade policy shifts encourage diversification away from China. While sourcing from the U.S remains a long-term goal, the timing of a full transition is uncertain. Below is a projected timeline to guide your planning.

How to Prepare for Prime Day & Q4 During Tariff Instability?

• Do Promotions & Coupons to boost velocity on ASINs hit by trump tariffs.
• Provide Lightning Deals to clear slow-moving products.
• Send smaller, frequent batches to avoid inbound limits.

What Next Steps Should Amazon Sellers Take?

• Audit Your COGS and identify ASINs facing the steepest hikes.
• Optimize your Inventory around fast-turning ASINs.
• Automate Pricing with BQool Repricer so that you can clear your inventory according to your preferences.
• Take proactive steps and don’t wait until you’re hit with hefty fees.
• Stay compliant and label your items correctly and pay the required fees. Mislabeling goods to avoid charges can lead to serious consequences.

Conclusion

As we’ve seen, the landscape surrounding tariffs and Amazon’s policies is constantly shifting—and rarely with much notice.

Sellers who wait to react risk facing higher costs, tighter restrictions, and reduced profitability. But those who start planning now—by adjusting pricing, diversifying suppliers, and managing inventory more strategically—will be better positioned to weather any changes ahead.

Tools like BQool can help you stay agile, from optimizing your pricing to moving slow-moving inventory before storage fees rack up. With smarter planning and the right software on your side, you can avoid surprises and keep your Amazon business running smoothly even in uncertain times.

Remember, success favors the seller who prepares.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Amazon affected by China tariffs?

Yes. Any Chinese-made goods imported into the U.S. face these duties.

What is the effect of a tariff on a product?

It raises the import duty, increasing landed cost and impacting pricing or margins.

What are the negative effects of tariffs?

Higher consumer prices, margin compression, supply-chain disruption, fewer SKU choices.

What will tariffs do to Temu?

China-based goods will face 10% → 30% duties, driving price hikes and supplier shifts.

How do I determine the correct HS code?

Use the U.S. ITC’s HTS Search tool with keywords to find your product heading.

What is the de minimis threshold?

Imports <$800 are normally exempt, but China-origin de minimis was revoked effective May 2, 2025.

Naimi Ismadi

May 12, 2025

Naimi Ismadi is a content and marketing specialist at BQool, helping Amazon sellers scale their businesses through clear, engaging insights on repricing tools and smarter selling strategies.