California consumers get sticker shock ordering imports online

Trump's tariff policy changes mean some shoppers are being hit with surprise fees when items arrive

- Caroline Petrow-Cohen

CARLOS SOTO, at his Historia Bakery in Thousand Oaks, declined to pay a more than $100 tariff on a jersey.

CHRISTINA HOUSE Los Angeles Times

Every year, Ventura County resident Carlos Soto buys a Liverpool Football Club jersey for his son to celebrate the start of the soccer season. This year it was delivered with an additional bill of $107.

"The UPS guy said he couldn't release it unless I paid more," said Soto, who owns the Historia Bakery Cafe in Thousand Oaks. "Until this tariff thing started, I've never, ever had a bill on top of my purchase."

Soto declined the payment and requested a refund for the jersey, which he bought from the team's official website for around $150.

Since President Trump reversed a decades-old tariff policy in August known as de minimis, online shoppers like Soto are sometimes getting hit with high, unexpected extra charges.

De minimis used to allow goods valued at less than $800 to enter the country duty-free. The tariff exception applied to more than 1.30 billion packages sent to the U.S. from overseas in 2024, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Social media is full of reports of individuals struggling with surprise bills for their deliveries. On Facebook and elsewhere, buyers are venting about hundreds of dollars due on mouse pads, makeup and bridesmaid dresses.

One person on Reddit faced a $4,700 fee on a specialized desk chair from Bulgaria.