The U.S. government’s decision to eliminate the de minimis exemption for Chinese imports in May has triggered a dramatic 43% plunge in airfreight e-commerce shipments from China to the United States.
According to new data from logistics consultancy Aevean, volumes of e-commerce goods flown from China to the U.S. fell sharply from 109,325 tonnes in April to just 62,658 tonnes in May. This policy change marks a significant shift in global trade dynamics, as e-commerce platforms rapidly redirected shipments to other international markets.
The de minimis rule had previously allowed packages valued under $800 to enter the U.S. without duties and with minimal customs processing. With the exemption removed, packages arriving via commercial airlines are now subject to a 30% tariff, while those using postal networks face either a 54% tariff or a flat fee of $100 per package.
“The decline was steep,” said Maarten Wormer, head of consulting at Aevean. “E-commerce platforms have responded swiftly by diverting shipments away from the U.S. to other, less costly destinations.”
Despite the significant drop in shipments to the U.S., total e-commerce airfreight volumes from China decreased by only 3% in May, totaling just over 400,000 tonnes. This suggests that while U.S.-bound traffic took a major hit, volumes were largely reallocated to other regions.
Europe has absorbed much of the redirected volume, with airfreight e-commerce shipments from China to Europe rising 13% month-on-month in May to 119,810 tonnes. Shipments to other global destinations increased by 12% to 132,349 tonnes, while Southeast Asia saw a more modest 4.1% rise to 87,383 tonnes.
These figures are part of a broader trend illustrating the ripple effects of U.S. trade policies. Aevean’s data also shows that shipments of laptops from Vietnam to the U.S. have surged, while China’s exports in that category have declined. Meanwhile, India has overtaken China as the largest airfreight exporter of smartphones to the U.S., a shift attributed directly to the tariff changes.
As U.S. trade regulations continue to evolve, global supply chains are adjusting rapidly—reshaping how and where companies move their goods.
Source: Aircargonews