📜Tariff Pause? Not So Fast...

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Hey! It’s Dr. Marcella Wilson!

Yes, the U.S. and China just hit pause on new tariffs.

But don’t let that headline fool you. 

In today’s issue, you’ll learn:

• The hidden rule change that’s crushing new sellers

• A tariff-proof alternative that doesn’t require inventory

• How to launch your first product without touching a single box of inventory.

The bottom line? Tariffs might be paused, but your profits are still at risk. Unless you pivot now.

Keep scrolling to see what to sell instead (and how AI makes it 10x easier). 👇

Prompt of the Week

If you’re ready to pivot away from imports and explore print-on-demand, this prompt is your shortcut. Try this:

“List 5 U.S.-based print-on-demand suppliers for [your product type]. Include pricing, shipping speed, and product customization options.”

Let AI do the research so you can spend more time building — and less time Googling.

Behind the Prompt

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The Affiliate Shift Calculator models what could happen if you reallocated a portion of your ad budget into affiliate marketing.

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Beyond the Scroll

Tariff Pause? Not So Fast... The pause doesn’t change what really matters.

By now, you’ve probably heard the latest headline: the U.S. and China agreed to pause new tariffs for 90 days.

But before you celebrate — don’t miss what didn’t change.

The de minimis exemption loophole is still closed. That means even cheap shipments from China are now getting hit with duties, paperwork, and delays.

And that’s what’s really hurting new eCommerce sellers —  the fact that every low-cost order from China is suddenly more expensive, more complicated, and way less predictable.

So if you were planning to start your store with $2 sunglasses or $5 gadgets from overseas? You might want to rethink your strategy and pivot to something smarter.

What Was It?

The de minimis exemption used to let packages under $800 enter the U.S. without tariffs or customs fees. That’s why you could order low-cost products from platforms like Temu, Shein, and AliExpress — and why many new eCommerce sellers started their stores by sourcing from China.

What Changed?

Earlier this month, the U.S. ended that exemption for goods from China and Hong Kong.

That means even small, low-value imports now come with tariffs, customs paperwork, and longer wait times — all of which make importing more complicated and more expensive.

Now? That exemption is gone — and every shipment from those regions faces:

• Higher tariffs

• Extra paperwork

• Slower delivery times

• 54% import fees for commercial shipments

And while the U.S. and China just announced a 90-day pause on new tariffs, the end of the de minimis loophole is still in full effect — meaning sellers are already seeing increased costs, slower deliveries, and extra paperwork.

That’s bad news for Temu and Shein.

And worse news for new sellers who thought importing cheap goods would be their shortcut to success.

So What Does That Mean for You? 

If you're just starting out, it might be best to pause before importing.

Here’s why:

• You’ll now pay duties on every shipment from China

• Surprise fees will cut into your profit margins

• Customs delays could frustrate your customers

• And if you’re using dropshipping or small-batch orders, this rule hits even harder

Even if tariffs technically pause for a few months, the extra fees and delays from losing the exemption are already happening — and they’re enough to wreck your margins if you’re not prepared.

So What Should You Do Instead?

While the headlines focus on tariffs and temporary pauses, a much bigger shift is already underway. That’s why this is the perfect time to look at print-on-demand (POD) as a smarter, tariff-proof option.

If you’re just stepping into ecommerce, print-on-demand (POD) is one of the easiest, lowest-risk and less stressful ways to start a business.

With POD, you don’t buy inventory up front. You don’t need to rent storage space or deal with complicated international shipping. Instead, you partner with a supplier who prints and ships each product only after a customer orders it.

Here’s how it works:

1. You upload your design on a POD product or choose from templates (think quotes, graphics, or custom art).

2. A customer places an order through your online store.

3. Your POD supplier prints it, packages it, and ships it directly to your customer.

4. You keep the difference between the retail price and the supplier’s cost.  This is your profit!

That’s it — no bulk ordering, no customs forms, no upfront costs, and no worrying about unsold stock sitting in your garage.

With POD, you can sell things like:

• T-shirts

• Journals

• Mugs

• Pet products

• Wall art

•  … without ever touching inventory or worrying about tariffs.

And guess what? You can also sell print-on-demand jewelry, vitamin supplements, coffee and much more.  

However,  there are a few downsides to print-on-demand products:

1. Quality Control - You can't see the inventory or individual products that are being shipped out to the customer.  With POD products, you can order a sample product, but you don't get to see what’s being shipped out to the customer. 

2. Higher product costs - Because each print-on-demand item is made to order, the per-unit cost is higher than bulk manufacturing in China. 

That means you’ll either:

• Have to price your POD products higher (which can affect sales), or

• Accept slimmer profits per item

3. Less Differentiation - one thing I learned from years of selling products on Amazon and Shopify is that you have to have a unique product.  Now this is easier than it sounds.  You just have to make sure that any product you sell has some type of differentiation or uniqueness from other similar products.  Unfortunately, you can’t do this with POD  products.  You can’t tweak options or features. You just have to sell whatever is offered.  

Even with these “cons” I still believe that selling print-on-demand can be a viable and even better option than importing products from china.  

And even with a temporary pause on tariffs, the end of the de minimis exemption means fees, delays, and red tape aren’t going away anytime soon. Fortunately, POD can help you avoid all of that.

What To Do Instead

Don’t panic. And don’t give up.

You don’t need to compete with Temu or Shein. You just need to sell smarter.

Instead, use this as a chance to explore smarter sourcing and let AI help you make better decisions from the start.

And you’ve already taken the first step by reading The Scroll.

Keep going.

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Scroll to the End

Here’s how I can help you pivot, post, and keep selling — even when the rules change:

1. New to AI? Start with my free email course → ChatGPT 101
   Learn the basics so you can move faster when policies shift — like tariffs or sourcing strategies.

2. Need help staying consistent on social media? The AI Social Media Prompt Journal gives you daily post ideas — so you never have to wonder what to say online. → Get the Journal

3. Pressed for time but still need results fast? Grab the AI Content Kit with 50+ prompts, images, captions, hashtags, templates + more → AI Content Kit

See you next week!

— Dr. Marcella Wilson

P.S. - Thanks to all the time I saved using AI last week, I finally caught up on some movies! I watched The Sinners. I’m a total scaredy-cat when it comes to horror, but this one? Surprisingly good and different but no nightmares, I swear. I also saw The Amateur. Solid movie, but definitely more of a “couch + snacks + Friday night in” kinda vibe.