A de minimis tariff loophole expires Friday. Here's what that means for shoppers.

Cheaper goods from China are set to become a lot more expensive for U.S. consumers with the May 2 expiration of a loophole that allowed lower cost packages to enter the country duty-free.

Ultra-low cost retailers like Shein and Temu are among the major players that until Friday relied on a tax loophole that allowed them to ship low-value parcels to the U.S. tax-free, allowing them to undercut U.S.-based sellers. American shoppers relied on the de minimis loophole, too, for bargain-basement prices that couldn't be matched for goods made in the U.S.

With the end of the loophole, which exempted packages worth $800 from import levies, many goods from China and other countries will no longer be low-priced as they once were. Trade experts also note that to comply with the law, importers and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) now face a new administrative challenge: the burden of inspecting millions of additional packages daily. That could mean substantial delays in shipments, experts note.