A Reddit user’s screenshot of a $442.77 import charge on a $852.88 Temu order has ignited fierce debate over Trump’s tariff policies. As consumers face soaring costs, experts warn of job losses, empty shelves, and a looming recession.
Picture this: you’re shopping online for art supplies, fishing gear, and camping equipment. Your cart on Temu totals $364.76 after discounts—a reasonable price for the haul. But at checkout, you’re hit with a staggering $442.77 import charge, nearly doubling your cost. That’s the reality Reddit user faced, as shared in a viral Reddit post on April 28, 2025, that has since sparked a firestorm of debate over President Trump’s aggressive tariff policies. With consumers cancelling orders and companies pulling out of the U.S., the question looms: are these tariffs a path to prosperity, or a recipe for economic disaster?
The screenshot, posted in the r/AskUS subreddit, shows a subtotal of $364.76 after a $327.25 discount, with additional shipping and sales tax bringing the total to $410.11 before the import charge. The $442.77 labeled as “Import Charges” pushes the final order to $852.88—an increase that left Reddit user, and thousands of Reddit users, reeling. “This is kinda random, but I had some art supplies, fishing gear, and camping gear in my cart, and someone told me to look at the charges. That’s wild,” she wrote, noting she cancelled the order before finalizing it. Her experience, however, is just the tip of the iceberg as Trump’s tariffs begin to reshape the U.S. economy in ways that many fear could lead to a recession.
