Good-Bye Cheap Crap

Breaking up with Fang-Fang

I hope everyone stocked up on 3 armed T-shirts and pants made for ants. Because cheap crap is getting cancelled. I have not had the nerve to actually try to order the sexy Temu teddy made from 100% recycled materials yet.

Saving the planet. You know you want one.

Following President Donald Trump’s implementation of steep tariffs on Chinese imports, Amazon has reportedly begun canceling direct import orders for products manufactured in China and other Asian nations. The cancellations come in response to Trump’s April 2 tariff hike, which raised import duties on Chinese goods to 125%.

Sources told Bloomberg that Amazon halted orders without warning for items such as air conditioners, scooters, and beach chairs. While the full scope of the cancellations remains unclear, vendors told the outlet the timing strongly suggests a link to the new tariffs.

One long-standing vendor, who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation, shared that Amazon abruptly canceled a $500,000 wholesale order for Chinese-made beach chairs—despite the inventory already being manufactured and ready to ship. The company labeled the purchase orders as being placed “in error” and instructed the vendor not to ship them.

Scott Miller, a former Amazon vendor manager and current e-commerce consultant, confirmed that multiple clients had experienced similar cancellations. “Amazon really holds all of the cards,” Miller said. “The only real recourse vendors have is to either sell this inventory in other countries at lower margins or try to work with other retailers.”

The canceled orders largely involved Amazon’s “direct import” system. Under this model, Amazon purchases inventory in bulk from foreign manufacturers, imports it directly into the U.S., and pays applicable tariffs. By controlling shipping logistics, Amazon typically reduces costs, but the tariff increases have made many of these imports financially unfeasible.

With the U.S. imposing tariffs on imports from over 180 countries, many large retailers and e-commerce platforms are reevaluating sourcing strategies. Vendors relying on Amazon’s bulk import system are now scrambling to redirect inventory to alternate markets or risk significant losses.

Trump’s tariff strategy is part of a broader effort to rebalance global trade and re-shore American manufacturing, particularly in critical supply chain sectors. The move has sparked mixed reactions among businesses but is seen by supporters as a necessary step to reduce dependence on adversarial economies like China.

Open the containers!! Let’s see what is really in them. Shut the ports and get the crowbars.

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Learn to make your own cheap crap or make due with what you already have bulging out of your garage while your $70K rig sits out in the weather. There has to be something in there you can use. Sit on that 5 gallon plastic bucket this summer and make your own protest.

Game On, Fang-Fang. Let’s see who blinks first.

President Donald Trump announced that he paused tariffs for 90 days on “more than 75 countries” while raising the tariffs on China to 125%.

“Based on the lack of respect that China has shown to the World’s Markets, I am hereby raising the Tariff charged to China by the United States of America to 125%, effective immediately,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realize that the days of ripping off the U.S.A., and other Countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable.”

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