New policy could lead to increased prices on popular websites: 'They're going to have to cut back'

The Trump administration's 10% tariff on goods made in China is sending ripple effects through the fast-fashion industry.

Fast-fashion fans are worried that their favorite brands, such as Shein and Temu, will raise their low prices, making their shopping habits less affordable. 

As The Guardian reported, the new tariff eliminates a trade loophole that allowed fast-fashion companies to ship packages of less than $800 duty-free to the U.S.

As a result, economists anticipate price hikes in the near future. Meanwhile, fashionistas have been scrambling to get in their last Shein and Temu orders before items become pricier. 

On the surface, a hard hit to the fast-fashion industry could be perceived as good news for fair-wage labor, shoppers' long-term clothing investments, and environmental sustainability.

However, industry experts doubt that Americans' love of fast fashion will truly decline because of the tariffs. 

"If anything, I think these tariffs will strengthen fast fashion's hold on customers," Margaret Bishop, from New York's Parsons School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology, told the Guardian. "If everything costs more, particularly food, transportation and housing, they're going to have to cut back somewhere."

Others are concerned that huge corporations like Shein and Temu will find ways to adapt and still thrive in the fast-fashion economy while smaller businesses suffer. Meanwhile, the tariffs could entice big fast-fashion brands to cut more corners as a way to save money — possibly at the expense of garment workers and the environment. 

As fast-fashion companies continue to create clothing that rapidly deteriorates and ends up in landfills, it's more important than ever to embrace shopping alternatives that don't contribute to growing mounds of textile waste or put people's health at risk.  

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As an individual, you can break up with fast fashion by deleting brand apps from your phone and focusing your wardrobe on high-quality items designed to last. 

You can actually save money in the long run by shopping at thrift stores. Meanwhile, you can make money off your old clothes and give them a second chance at life before they go into the trash.  

In response to a Yahoo News Facebook post about the fast-fashion tariff, one shopper commented, "At least maybe it will keep me from buying stuff from Temu that I really don't need." 

Someone else wrote, "Shouldn't buy from Shein anyway. They steal designs, and the quality is awful. Find better brands instead of this garbage."

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