How the end of the de minimis tariff exemption is causing unexpected fees for K-beauty products

Online shoppers say they’re getting hit with big, surprise fees on Korean sunscreens, skin care, makeup and more.

Mackenzie Knight bought $100 worth of Beauty of Joseon sunscreens and other popular Korean skin care products last month from YesStyle, a major online K-beauty retailer. Five days later, she received an email from global shipping company DHL containing a $20 tariff bill. She had five days to pay up, the notice said, or her order would be returned.

The charge came as a shock, Knight told NBC News, because YesStyle made no mention on its website that consumers would be charged an extra fee as a result of the ending of the de minimis tariff exemption — a loophole for lower-value packages that President Donald Trump’s administration halted last week.

“I feel grateful to be able to afford $20, but it’s not the best to not be expecting it,” said Knight, 35, from San Jose, California. “If people are able to know how much tariffs they’d be charged, a calculator for example, that’d be helpful.”

Beauty junkies obsessed with Korean cleansing oils, snail mucin and sunscreens famously more protective than what are available in the U.S. might want to prepare themselves before they add products to their cart and see the price tick up.

The de minimis provision allowed packages valued at less than $800 to be imported tax-free. These packages will now be charged either the tariff rates the U.S. placed on their countries of origin or fixed fees of $80 to $200, the latter option available only for six months.