eBay and Vestiaire Collective Want an Exemption from Trump’s Tariffs

Last month, Suzanne Smith-Darley was fantastic. She had just bought a used Chanel handbag at a Japanese seller on eBay for $ 800 – a flight compared to the original price of $ 1,400. About a week later, an email arrived that crushed it: DHL required costs of $ 142 for the American prices before delivering the tote of the well worn medallion at the Porte d’Atlanta de Smith-Darley. “It goes to Japan, has a lifetime, and it could be in the bin literally,” she said. “I am ready to choose it from the trash, and I receive this huge price. It’s ridiculous. “

Price imposed this year by President Donald Trump triggered higher prices and reduced selectionAnd some buyers have been surprised to learn that taxes apply to used products.

Several online markets, including ebay And Collective cloakroomExhorted legislators and officials of Washington, DC, to exempt second -hand import articles from imports, including those recently imposed by President Trump, according to industry leaders. “We are still a maturity industry, but we are the future,” explains Rachel Kibbe, CEO of American Circular Textiles, a plea group which represents around thirty organizations, including collective cloakroom, which make, repair, praise, sell, recycle or resell. “We would simply like preferential commercial treatment for used imports.”

But a sculpture for second -hand items does not seem to be in preparation, according to a person close to the White House who asked for anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions. An exemption would probably lead importers to try to transmit new articles used, creating an additional application burden for a government It’s already stretched thin by the efforts of “the effectiveness of the government” of Trump.

Historians say that imports have used old jewelry For obsolete smartphones, we have always been subjected to American prices. They note that the concept of tasks on used goods dates back to at least the trade in the medieval era. But Trump applied prices to many other countries and increased prices for Historically high levels. The combination prompted people to question the benefits of prices and led to an increase in calls to employed. “We have never had a situation like this before,” explains Andrew Wender Cohen, historian at the University of Syracuse who studies the history of trade.

Trump described his policies as necessary to increase domestic manufactureAnd it is possible to see how, over time, costs that discourage the importation of new clothes and gadgets could encourage certain companies to move at least part of their manufacture in the United States. It is much more difficult to imagine a gain in the application of these same rates to second -hand goods intended for new houses instead of landfills.

Cohen says that a reasonable approach would be to maintain the prices on the articles used, but at lower rates which would be proportional to the risk posed to domestic manufacturing.

A few Used items have no alternatives; New versions may not be attractive or the product can be interrupted. Looking abroad can also be inevitable for niche items, such as cards to exchange and handbags used. Circular economy Lawyers argue that reuse, even when involving an article crossing national borders, can still produce environmental advantages by reducing waste. “There should be policies that encourage people to choose second -hand items first,” said Liisa Jokinen, founder of the Vintage Gem clothing application.

“Pre-loved”

While consumers are looking for more sustainable products for the environment and their portfolios, a new supply chain has emerged. Merchants are now renovating and sold items used such as clothing and electronics, and an increasing number of online markets have enabled Americans to get these articles from almost all over the world.

Earlier this year, the Japanese ebay unit disclosed The growing demand for second -hand cameras while people were panicking before Trump’s prices took effect. Worldwide, around 40% of ebay raw sales come from What is that calls “pre-loved and renovated articles”.