Retailers are racing to adapt after the U.S. de minimis exemption was officially abolished on Friday (29 August 2025), prompting a +90% week-on-week surge in online searches for ‘Trump Tariffs’, according to new analysis by retail tech communications provider, Flagship.

The spike follows the end of the de minimis threshold, which previously exempted packages valued at $800 and under from fees when entering the North American market.

The change – announced by the U.S. administration just over a month ago, leaving exporters with little time to prepare – means UK retailers now face reciprocal U.S. tariffs on low-value parcels or flat-fees of between $80-200 per shipment for the first six months.

Tariff uncertainty leaves retailers searching for answers

As businesses sought further clarity, searches for ‘de minimis rule’ also spiked week-on-week, increasing +31 index points (+52.5%) on Google Trends ahead of the policy change.  Meanwhile, keyword searches for ‘U.S. tariffs’ also climbed +1 index point week-on-week and +15 index points week-on-two-weeks (+78.9%) before the rule ended on Friday.

“With only a month to prepare after the U.S. extended the end of de minimis to all countries, many retailers were left, quite literally, still searching for answers,” said Sarah Cole, Founder of Flagship. “While some are pivoting to alternative growth markets, shifting supply chain strategies and reconfiguring their logistics – this still might not be enough to plug the gap left by the U.S., which is historically the UK’s largest non-EU retail market.”

The UK is among the most impacted exporters; last year, 41million de minimis shipments came from the UK, making it the fourth largest shipper of small parcels to the U.S. behind China (944million), Canada (98million) and Mexico (94million). Now, 76% of UK exporters are diversifying beyond the U.S., according to Retail Economics’ data, with many turning to territories in MENA, including the UAE, to tap new cross-border growth potential.

More ‘Liberation Day limbo’ after Court of Appeals ruling

A U.S. Court of Appeals ruling on Friday challenged the legality of the Trump’s tariffs, meaning retailers could still face further uncertainty and potential disruption, pending a likely review by the Supreme Court later in the year.

“The tariff turmoil is far from over,” Cole added. “Retailers may once again find themselves stuck in ‘Liberation Day limbo’ while awaiting the next ruling. With the U.S. administration no stranger to making snap u-turn decisions, retailers won’t want to gamble on de minimis being another TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) policy. This combination of unpredictability and uncertainty will not just deepen retailers’ frustration, it risks unravelling the significant effort and investment many have already made in their mitigation strategies.”