Aliexpress during De-minimus - experience & circumvention - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: u666sa
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 27, 2025, 03:09:39 pm
content: I noticed this today, a lot of the links to products I purchased are 404, not found. But, they are there if you use VPN and global site. Others stopped shipping to United States altogether.Everyone is waiting to what will happen, sellers are afraid of massive product returns due to customs charges. Imagine being a seller making a living on small profit margins, and there, you have whole bunch of buyers declining to pay customs duties and you have to refund and pay for return shipping. This thread then, is to figure out what can be done, and how to order from aliexpress during these self imposed sanctions. This thread is specific to United States residents. Your experience from a different country will be irrelevant here. Let's share our experiences, and what is being charged and how to order stuff from ali without being charged half a kidney.Now for me, this is wayback time machine, way back to 2022. During those sanctions same thing happened with products off aliexpress, either 404 page not found, or seller does not ship to your country or region. Then new website became available, it used to be alexpress dot com, then it turned into dot ru. Domain got changed. We got absolutely new aliexpress with different products and sellers that do ship. Literally within half month. Here we already have aliexpress dot us, but I noticed it is tied to global aliexpress site, aliexpress dot com. For example, when you go to your orders, you are not on aliexpress dot us anymore, you are on aliexpress dot com. So I reckon the new site is not there, yet.I expect to see a new site with new products and different prices soon.As far as circumvention on aliexpress of some products that were still unavailable. To get a product to show and to ship, we used to change our addresses to a different country. Then add product to the cart, and then during check out select proper address. That did work for a while, and then it stopped working.Let me know your experience with aliexpress right now. Also, let me know when you order and receive things during de-minimus. How much you paid? How long it took? The process. Etc. etc.P.S.I do have some orders coming May 4th, May 5th, May 27th. I did place them in April, but they are arriving after De-Minimus goes into effect.

author: UnijunctionTransistor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 27, 2025, 03:17:55 pm
content: Subscribing to thread, because I am *very interested* in this topic.Not ordered anything yet, I am sitting on the fence right now. But I do have some postponed projects which I will have to take care of, one way or another.I am fortunate to have acquaintances in Mexico’s border towns, and am thinking of having stuff delivered there.

author: bdunham7
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 27, 2025, 03:36:29 pm
content: I recently placed a few orders for miscellaneous things that I wanted in the near future and I noticed that they were delivered very, very fast. In one case the items cleared US customs less than 24 hours after I purchased them. A recent order was split into two shipments with the later one arriving last night (Saturday) after 10PM. So they've been rushing and working overtime to get the packages delivered and I'm guessing there's been a bit of a boom. However I checked this morning and indeed all of that stuff I ordered is no longer available. It looks like I got it all just in time. I hope I didn't forget anything...

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 27, 2025, 03:37:17 pm
content: You heard of al capone? it wasn't the murdering or bootlegging that got him 11 years inside,,it was just good ole tax evasion.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 27, 2025, 04:10:11 pm
content: Quote from: u666sa on April 27, 2025, 03:09:39 pmAfter Brexit some EU companies stopped selling to the UK; too much aggro for too little reward.Hence not a surprise.

author: u666sa
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2025, 01:08:32 pm
content: Yes, indeed, aliexpress is rushing orders out. Two orders that I mentioned in my original post which I was expecting May 4th and May 5th, are out for delivery today, April 29th. To test the de-minimus first hand, I'll place an order come May 2nd, lul.Another thing that aliexpress is doing actively right now, is giving coupons left and right.uploadThis particular order I received April 21, 8 days ago. I now have 11, one dollar site wide coupons, plus coins, and a bunch of seller specific coupons, plus a bonus from a refund. Aliexpress really wants people to order stuff during the de-minimus.

author: dobsonr741
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2025, 01:50:28 pm
content: I see another company, selling more expensive items in the $100-800 range adding extra 15 days of delivery. I assume they will route the shipment through another country still under de minimus. I’ll be happy to update here once I received my order. I’ve asked and the company reassured me I’ll pay no duty.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2025, 02:02:16 pm
content: Quote from: dobsonr741 on April 29, 2025, 01:50:28 pmThis has been Ali's MO in the EU for a long time. Parcels would come from all kinds of countries just to evade the VAT. Nowadays with the EU having clamped down on getting VAT paid AND having a good system in place to streamline all of it so everything is handled automatically, all Aliexpress sales are VAT included.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2025, 02:08:04 pm
content: The shift of paying the duty at source also has the added bonus of killing the handling fee lottery

author: ledtester
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2025, 03:04:13 pm
content: Lon.TV just posted a video on the expiration of the de minimis exemption:Tariff Shock: Temu, AliExpress Prices Soar - Other Retailers Impacted Toohttps://www.youtu.be/X1mH9ua2OG0One point he makes -- the de minimis expiration is only happening for products made in China and Hong Kong.

author: u666sa
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2025, 10:56:27 am
content: So I placed an order for two items, May 3rdhttps://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807181653844.htmlhttps://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802982605849.htmlboth items $4.41 + $2.286 bucksToday we are close to the moment of truthCustoms clearance started. So we shall see, perhaps even today, what is going to happen.P.S. Now I recognize aliexpress I'm used to in terms of shipping times. Same as in Russia. You have to wait to get your stuff. Shipping is not instant as it used to be pre de-minimus.

author: u666sa
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2025, 03:30:49 pm
content: A little update.Finally, after so long, my order got unstuck from customs and is now with local currier. Customs clearance started May 12th, and it ended sometime around May 20th, although in the tracking info it says May 14th... Now is June 5th, and I got a notification that package is with the local currier.!Finally.It appears I am not going to pay any customs or tariffs and will receive my package without a problem.

author: watchmaker
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 06, 2025, 12:03:13 pm
content: I am seeing Chinese sellers lower item prices and increase shipping charges where the total remains the same. Do US residents pay duty on shipping charges?

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2025, 12:18:40 pm
content: EU's response to tackle the flood of packages (with cheap stuff) from China is to introduce a processing fee of 2 Euros for each package:- EU plans €2 fee on small parcels in hit to Shein and Temu -https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq699ymm81vo

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2025, 08:54:49 am
content: And to be honest: Until the shipping cost imbalance can be fixed, this isn't the worst way of getting to the issue.It's just idiotic that getting something shipped with airfreight from china is cheaper than getting something shipped from a town over.

author: u666sa
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2025, 05:21:05 pm
content: Well boys. It looks like I'm going to get my order finally and without paying any tariffs. Order placed after tariffs and de-minimus went into effect. So this is BIG BIG BIG news.Another update later on today after I get my stuff.

author: u666sa
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 09, 2025, 01:14:30 am
content: [ Specified attachment is not available ][ Specified attachment is not available ]

author: u666sa
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 09, 2025, 01:19:19 am
content: So, I received the order, and no tariffs paid.Order was placed May 3rd. Received June 8th. It appears items related to electronics are okey to order.I have ordered A) heat gun nozzle -https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807181653844.htmland B) rosin for the crack pipe -https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802982605849.htmlPackage out for deliveryJun 8, 07:04 ESTPackage arrived at regional carrier facilityJun 4, 14:43 ESTImport customs clearance completedMay 14, 19:01 ESTImport customs clearance startedMay 12, 04:53 ESTYour package arrived at local airportMay 12, 03:53 ESTPackage leaving origin country/region.May 11, 10:15 ESTAwaiting flightMay 8, 14:07 ESTYour package arrived at airport. Awaiting transit.May 7, 11:07 ESTPackage left sorting center of origin.May 6, 19:45 ESTPackage received by sorting center of origin.May 6, 02:19 ESTPackage successfully left warehouse.May 6, 02:19 ESTPackage arrived at consolidation warehouse.May 5, 22:29 ESTThe seller has shipped your package.May 5, 19:44 ESTYour package is currently being prepared.May 3, 20:26 ESTYour order has been successfully createdMay 3, 20:26 EST

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2025, 11:17:48 am
content: Aren't there some couriers that send you the bill afterwards and do not collect immediately on delivery?As far as i know, DHL did that in the past in Germany, and i have heard similar about FedEx.