AliExpress Costs Are Rising Due to U.S. Import Tariffs - Here's How to Protect Your Dropshipping Profits

Since 2024, the United States has announced a series of new import tariffs targeting products from countries including China.

According to official statements from the U.S. Trade Representative, these tariffs apply to a broad range of goods — from electronics and consumer products to home and garden items — many of which are popular on AliExpress.

With tariffs increasing by up to 145% for some product categories, the cost of importing goods into the U.S. is rising significantly. As a result, AliExpress sellers are adjusting their pricing strategies — and as a dropshipper, you need to be ready.

How AliExpress Sellers Are Adjusting Their Pricing

Since the new tariffs went into effect, AliExpress sellers are handling the costs. Depending on the sellers, import charges may be displayed differently.

For "Choice | AliExpress Commitment" Sellers:

These sellers include import charges directly in the listed price. What you see is what you pay — no extra fees added at checkout.

For Non-Choice Sellers:

Pricing varies between two common approaches:

• Case A: Import tax included in product price
  The product price is higher, but under “Estimated Charges,” you'll only see Sales Tax. This means the import tax is already built into the price.

• Case B: Import tax shown separately at checkout
  The listed product price looks low, but during checkout, both Sales Tax and Import Charges are added.

Example:
Total Cost = $12.15
= $1.42 (product price) + $8.15 (shipping fee) + $2.56 (sales + import tax)

To sum up, AliExpress displays import charges in two different ways. The table below explains how to identify and interpret each pricing method:

Why It Matters:

• If the import tax is included in the product price, DSers will reflect the updated cost after syncing.
• If the import tax is added at checkout, DSers may NOT show the full cost (not reflect import charges)— which can silently eat into your profits.

What You Should Do as a Dropshipper

Check Product Pricing Carefully

Always check the product's pricing labels and review the checkout summary on AliExpress. You should pay special attention to whether the import tax is included in the listed price.

Update Your Product Costs

To ensure your costs are accurate, it's better to pay close attention to products where the import tax is not included in the price. If you overlook this, you could unknowingly lose profit.

Though DSers automatically updates product costs from AliExpress, it may not be in real time. We strongly recommend double-checking product costs with suppliers or directly on AliExpress — especially for your best-sellers and trending items.

Optimize Your Pricing Rules

To maintain profit margins, update your pricing strategies as soon as possible.

Adapt Your Product Prices Automatically DSers Automatic Pricing - Pre-set Pricing Rule to mark-up your product price automatically TRY DSers FREE

• If you use DSers' Automatic Price Update feature, your selling price will automatically reflect the new product cost — no manual work needed.
• If you don't use automation, make sure to manually review and adjust your pricing rules.

Be especially cautious with products that DON'T include import charges in the listed price.

How DSers Is Helping: New Features Coming Soon

To help you adapt quickly, we're rolling out new features in May:

• "Tariff Not Included" Tag on Product Cards

Products that do not include the import tax in their listed price will be automatically tagged in DSers.

• Filter and Batch Update Functionality

Users can quickly filter these tagged products and batch-adjust their pricing rules to include a margin for the additional cost.

These tools will help you better manage pricing updates, maintain profitability, and reduce manual work.

Conclusion

Rising U.S. tariffs are making product sourcing more expensive for dropshippers relying on AliExpress suppliers. But by staying proactive, you can keep your dropshipping business profitable.

With clear visibility on product pricing and the right tools from DSers, you can protect your margins and navigate the changes confidently.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the DSers support team — we're here to help!