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    Pfizer CEO says tariff uncertainty is deterring further U.S. investment in manufacturing, R&D

    Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla on Tuesday said uncertainty around President Donald Trump’s planned pharmaceutical tariffs is deterring the company from further investing in U.S. manufacturing and research and development. 
    It comes as drugmakers brace for Trump’s levies on pharmaceuticals imported into the U.S. – his administration’s bid to boost manufacturing in the country. 
    Pfizer said it expects $150 million in costs from Trump’s existing tariffs this year. 

    Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO of Pfizer, speaks at The Wall Street Journal’s Future of Everything Festival in New York City, U.S., May 22, 2024. 
    Andrew Kelly | Reuters

    Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla on Tuesday said uncertainty around President Donald Trump’s planned pharmaceutical tariffs is deterring the company from further investing in U.S. manufacturing and research and development. 
    Bourla’s remarks on the company’s first-quarter earnings call came in response to a question about what Pfizer wants to see from tariff negotiations that would push the company to increase investments in the U.S. It comes as drugmakers brace for Trump’s levies on pharmaceuticals imported into the country – his administration’s bid to boost domestic manufacturing.

    “If I know that there will not be tariffs … then there are tremendous investments that can happen in this country, both in R&D and manufacturing,” Bourla said on the call, adding that the company is also hoping for “certainty.”
    “In periods of uncertainty, everybody is controlling their cost as we are doing, and then is very frugal with their investment, as we are doing, so that we are prepared for remit. So that’s what I want to see,” Bourla said.
    Bourla noted the tax environment, which had previously pushed manufacturing abroad, has “significantly changed now” with the establishment of a global minimum tax of around 15%. He said that shift hasn’t necessarily made the U.S. more attractive, saying “it’s not as good” to invest here without additional incentives or clarity around tariffs.
    “Now [Trump] I’m sure — and I know because I talked to him — that he would like to see even a reduction in the current tax regime particularly for locally produced goods,” Bourla said, adding a further decrease would be would be a strong incentive for manufacturing in the U.S.
    Unlike other companies grappling with evolving trade policy, Pfizer did not revise its full-year outlook on Tuesday. However, the company noted in its earnings release that the guidance “does not currently include any potential impact related to future tariffs and trade policy changes, which we are unable to predict at this time.”

    But on the earnings call on Tuesday, Pfizer executives said the guidance does reflect $150 million in costs from Trump’s existing tariffs.
    “Included in our guidance that we didn’t really speak about is there are some tariffs in place today,” Pfizer CFO Dave Denton said on the call.
    “We are contemplating that within our guidance range and we continue to again trend to the top end of our guidance range even with those costs to be incurred this year,” he said. More

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    Novo Nordisk opens weight loss drug Wegovy to telehealth; Hims & Hers shares rocket 30%

    Novo Nordisk said it will offer its weight loss drug Wegovy through telehealth providers Hims & Hers Health, Ro and Life MD. 
    The Danish drugmaker is racing to capture more patients now that many compounding pharmacies are legally restricted from making cheaper, unapproved versions of Wegovy, with rare exceptions.
    Patients will be able to access Novo Nordisk’s new direct-to-consumer online pharmacy, NovoCare, directly through the telehealth providers.

    The “Wegovy” brand slimming syringe is sold in the Achat pharmacy in Mitte. The “Wegovy” slimming syringe has been available in Germany for a year.
    Jens Kalaene | Picture Alliance | Getty Images

    Novo Nordisk on Tuesday said it will offer its weight loss drug Wegovy through telehealth providers Hims & Hers Health, Ro and Life MD to expand access to the blockbuster treatment now that it is no longer in short supply in the U.S. 
    Shares of Hims & Hers soared 30% in premarket trading Tuesday, while Novo Nordisk’s stock rose 3%.

    The Danish drugmaker is racing to capture more patients now that many compounding pharmacies are legally restricted from making cheaper, unapproved versions of Wegovy, with rare exceptions. Patients flocked to those compounded versions while Wegovy was in shortage due to skyrocketing demand. 
    “We felt it was really important to work hard to establish a collaboration with telehealth companies so that there could be access to Wegovy as the compounding is winding down,” Dave Moore, executive vice president of U.S. operations at Novo Nordisk, told CNBC. 
    “We’re really pleased about the level of interest to access branded Wegovy and to start to sort of catch people as they come off of compounded medicine,” he said. 

    More CNBC health coverage

    Moore added that the new partnerships make the experience “seamless” for patients since it allows them to access Wegovy straight from their telehealth providers, which “makes it very easy” for them to get the drug shipped directly to their homes. 
    Patients will be able to access Novo Nordisk’s new direct-to-consumer online pharmacy, NovoCare, directly through the telehealth providers. 

    That pharmacy offers Wegovy for $499 in cash per month – roughly half its usual monthly list price  – for patients without insurance coverage for the weekly injection. 
    Each telehealth company’s price may be higher because they likely include additional services, a Novo Nordisk spokesperson told CNBC. 

    Stock chart icon

    Novo Nordisk one year stock chart

    Hims & Hers said it will begin offering all dose sizes of Wegovy along with access to 24/7 care, nutritional guidance and ongoing clinical support this week, starting at $599 per month to eligible cash-paying patients with a prescription. 
    The medication will cost Hims & Hers customers more since it comes with added access to care, the company’s CEO, Andrew Dudum, told CNBC in an interview. He said he thinks the company’s partnership with Novo Nordisk will serve as a case study for how patients get access to and get prices for “great medicine” and other forms of treatment. 
    Ro opted for the lower price, announcing Tuesday it will offer access to all doses of Wegovy for $499 per month. The company provides 24/7 messaging, one-on-one coaching, educational content and more through its monthly membership called the Body Program, which does not include the cost of medication.
    “Adding Novo Nordisk’s FDA-approved treatments at the best available cash price will help more patients nationwide get the obesity care they need to achieve their goals, particularly those without insurance coverage,” Ro CEO Zach Reitano said in a release.
    Earlier this month, Hims & Hers announced that patients could access Eli Lilly’s weight loss medication Zepbound and diabetes drug Mounjaro, as well as the generic injection liraglutide, through its platform. But unlike the company’s collaboration with Novo Nordisk, Lilly released a statement clarifying that it has “no affiliation” with Hims & Hers.
    Hims & Hers started prescribing compounded semaglutide, the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug Ozempic and Wegovy, in May of 2024. The company has largely had to stop offering the compounded medications en masse, but some consumers may still be able to access personalized doses if it’s clinically applicable, Dudum said. 
    “That was one of the first things we shared with Novo is that we will always fight on behalf of what consumers we believe have the right to get,” Dudum said. “The regulation is very clear.” 
    During Food and Drug Administration-declared shortages, pharmacists can legally make compounded versions of brand-name medications. They can also be produced on a case-by-case basis when it’s medically necessary for a patient, such as when they can’t swallow a pill or are allergic to a specific ingredient in a branded drug. 
    But drugmakers and some health experts have pushed back against the practice, largely because the FDA does not approve compounded drugs. 
    Larger, federally regulated compounding pharmacies that make copies of semaglutide in bulk without prescriptions face a legal deadline of May 22 to stop marketing and selling those versions. Smaller, state-licensed compounding pharmacies that manufacture semaglutide copycats for individual prescriptions had a deadline of April 22.  
    “The spirit of this is that we stay true to what the rules are,” Moore said. “That’s the best way for us to serve patients.”
    — CNBC’s Brandon Gomez and Angelica Peebles contributed to this report.

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    United Airlines grows highest-end Polaris airport lounge by 50% in battle for wealthy customers

    United Airlines expanded its Polaris lounge at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and plans to open a revamped one at its hub in Newark Liberty International Airport in June.
    The remodeling comes as rivals Delta and American have opened similarly dedicated lounges for long-haul, business-class customers.
    Airlines have said that premium-class travel has remained resilient while bookings in the back of the plane have come up light.

    United Airlines Polaris lounge in Chicago
    United Airlines

    United Airlines’ top-tier airport lounge reopened in Chicago on Tuesday, featuring a 50% larger space and Crate & Barrel furnishings as carriers’ battle for higher-spending customers becomes more crucial.
    The 25,000-square-foot-Polaris lounge is in Terminal 1 at United’s home hub, Chicago O’Hare International Airport. It has seating for 350 passengers, six additional bathrooms, a second “speakeasy-style” bar and 50 seats for sit-down dining.

    United opened its first Polaris airport lounge in 2016 along with its new long-haul, business-class cabin of the same name. The lounge is reserved for customers flying internationally in the Polaris cabin, and its debut created a two-tiered lounge system with the airline’s more common United Clubs. That tiered model was also adopted by American Airlines and last year, Delta Air Lines.

    United Airlines’ “speakeasy” bar at its new Chicago Polaris Lounge.
    United Airlines

    Airlines have been revamping their lounges to accommodate more and more customers who qualify for entry with popular credit cards, elite frequent flyer status or just by buying more expensive tickets. Carriers have said that premium-class travel has remained resilient while bookings in the back of the plane have come up light this year.
    United is also expanding its Polaris lounge at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, which will open in June, Aaron McMillan, United’s managing director of hospitality programs, told CNBC. It is also is doing some “early design work” for a possible Polaris lounge at its hub in Denver.
    McMillan said the carrier did see “some some tight spots during the day where the lounge was near capacity” in Chicago last summer, though plans to grow the lounges have gone back years.
    In addition to expanding its main United Club lounges, the airline has also opened grab-and-go lounges in Denver and Houston to help with overcrowding at larger facilities and to offer a product to time-pressed travelers. More

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    General Motors beats Wall Street estimates, reassesses full-year guidance amid auto tariffs

    General Motors reported its first-quarter earnings before the bell Tuesday.
    The automaker beat Wall Street’s expectations, but said it is reassessing its full-year guidance.
    GM executives will host an earnings conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET on Thursday.

    DETROIT — General Motors beat Wall Street’s first-quarter expectations but is reassessing its 2025 financial guidance and suspending any additional stock buybacks amid expected cost increases and industry uncertainty regarding Donald Trump’s ongoing auto tariffs.
    Here’s how the company performed in the first quarter, compared with average estimates compiled by LSEG:

    Earnings per share: $2.78 adjusted vs. $2.74 expected
    Revenue: $44.02 billion vs. $43.05 billion

    GM’s 2025 guidance from January, which did not take tariffs into account, included net income attributable to stockholders of $11.2 billion to $12.5 billion, or $11 to $12 in earnings per share; adjusted earnings before interest and taxes of $13.7 billion to $15.7 billion, or $11 to $12 adjusted EPS; and adjusted automotive free cash flow between $11 billion and $13 billion.
    “We believe the future impacts of tariffs could be significant, so we are reassessing our guidance and look forward to sharing more when we have greater clarity,” GM CFO Paul Jacobson said during a media call. “The prior guidance can’t be relied upon, and we’ll come back to the market with clarity as soon as we have it.”
    GM declined to say it was formally withdrawing or suspending the guidance, but said it was calling it unreliable until the company has additional clarity on the economic and regulatory environments.
    Jacobson declined to disclose how much the tariffs, including 25% levies on imported vehicles effective April 3, have cost the Detroit automaker thus far. He also declined to discuss any new actions the company has taken to avoid additional costs until the company’s call with investors, which was moved from Tuesday to 8:30 a.m. ET on Thursday amid potential regulatory changes.
    The Wall Street Journal on Monday reported that Trump is expected to soften the impact of his automotive tariffs, preventing duties on foreign-made cars from stacking on top of other tariffs such as steel and aluminum that have been imposed.

    The report also says the administration will modify its tariffs on imported auto parts, allowing automakers to be reimbursed for those tariffs up to an amount equal to 3.75% of the value of a U.S.-made car for one year. The reimbursement would fall to 2.5% of the car’s value in a second year, and then be phased out altogether, according to the Journal.
    Trump is scheduled to visit Michigan on Tuesday to celebrate his first 100 days back in the Oval Office.
    Jacobson said the company continues to believe it may be able to offset between 30% and 50% of the North American tariffs, as previously announced, but is still assessing the situation and awaiting additional clarity.
    Trump’s tariffs, including an additional 25% on aluminum and steel, and potential levies on auto parts that could take effect by May 3, have created growing uncertainty for the automotive industry. The instability has caused Wall Street analysts to downgrade many automotive stocks, including GM.
    Jacobson said the Detroit automaker does not expect to make any significant changes to its manufacturing plans until there’s “more clarity” on the levies, but it has been making some “no regrets” adjustments to its North American production due to the tariffs, as well as other factors.
    Those decisions have included increasing pickup truck production at a plant in Indiana, canceling downtime at a plant in Missouri and suspending production of its large electric vehicle delivery vans in Canada.
    “Further decisions around capital required, or big shifts, we’re going to defer on until we have a little bit more clarity on that,” Jacobson said, adding that the tariffs could lead the company or its supply chain to conduct “pretty significant investments” in the U.S.
    The company’s first-quarter results included net income attributable to stockholders of $2.78 billion and adjusted earnings before interest and taxes of $3.49 billion. That compared with results a year earlier of $43.01 billion in revenue, net income attributable to stockholders of $2.98 billion, and adjusted earnings before interest and taxes of $3.87 billion.
    Despite profit margins being down compared with a year earlier, Jacobson described GM’s first-quarter results as “very strong,” noting solid fundamentals of the automaker’s business. He cited a $300 million negative impact in foreign exchange, specifically the Mexican peso, and $400 million in additional year-over-year costs that included higher labor and warranty expenses as well as depreciation and amortization.
    Regarding capital spending and future stock buybacks for GM, which the company has leaned upon to prop up its share price, Jacobson said the completion of a $2 billion accelerated stock buyback program is still expected to conclude during the second quarter, but any future purchases are suspended.
    “We have temporarily suspended any buyback activity until we have more clarity on what the situation might be,” Jacobson said. “As far as capital spending goes, we continue to evaluate and position where we might want to go with that, and we’ve got some flexibility in the portfolio, but to date, we haven’t made any material changes to our capital expenditure program, but we’ll continue to assess that as we get more clarity.”
    In February, GM said it would initiate a $6 billion share repurchase program as the company attempts to reward investors amid slowing industry sales and profits, including the $2 billion accelerated program.
    Correction: Trump is scheduled to visit Michigan on Tuesday. An earlier version misstated the day.

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    Pfizer expands cost cuts, tops quarterly profit estimates even as sales fall

    Pfizer expanded its cost-cutting efforts and reported first-quarter profit that topped estimates, even as the company’s sales fell, largely due to dwindling revenue for its antiviral Covid pill Paxlovid.
    With the added cuts announced Tuesday, Pfizer now expects to deliver around $7.7 billion in savings by the end of that year from the two cost-cutting efforts.
    Pfizer maintained its 2025 guidance but noted it “does not currently include any potential impact related to future tariffs and trade policy changes, which we are unable to predict at this time.”

    The Pfizer logo is seen outside the pharmaceutical company’s manufacturing plant, in Newbridge, Ireland February 10, 2025. 
    Clodagh Kilcoyne | Reuters

    Pfizer on Tuesday expanded its cost-cutting efforts and reported first-quarter profit that topped estimates, even as the company’s sales fell, largely due to dwindling revenue for its antiviral Covid pill Paxlovid.
    The company previously said its cost-cutting program would deliver overall net cost savings of roughly $4.5 billion by the end of 2025. On Tuesday, Pfizer said it now expects additional savings of roughly $1.2 billion, primarily in selling, informational and administrative expenses, by the end of 2027. 

    The company said that will be driven in large part by “enhanced digital enablement,” including automation and artificial intelligence and streamlining business processes.
    The expanded cuts also include expected research and organization re-organization cost savings of around $500 million by the end of 2026, the company added. Those savings will be reinvested into Pfizer’s product pipeline. 
    Pfizer has a separate multiyear initiative to slash costs, with the first phase of the effort slated to deliver $1.5 billion in savings by the end of 2027. With the added cuts announced Tuesday, Pfizer now expects to deliver around $7.7 billion in savings by the end of that year from the two cost-cutting efforts.
    The cuts aim to help the pharmaceutical giant recover from the rapid decline of its Covid business and stock price over the last few years, and appear to be paying off.
    Here’s what the company reported for the first quarter compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG: 

    Earnings per share: 92 cents adjusted vs. 66 cents expected
    Revenue: $13.72 billion vs. $13.91 billion expected

    ‘Volatile external environment’

    The results come as drugmakers brace for President Donald Trump’s planned tariffs on pharmaceuticals imported into the U.S. – his administration’s bid to boost U.S. manufacturing of medications. 
    Unlike other companies grappling with evolving trade policy, Pfizer did not revise its outlook.
    The company maintained its full-year 2025 outlook, forecasting sales of $61 billion to $64 billion, with a similar performance from its Covid products as seen in 2024, however Pfizer noted in its earnings release that the guidance “does not currently include any potential impact related to future tariffs and trade policy changes, which we are unable to predict at this time.”
    In prepared remarks on Tuesday, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said the company established a team to analyze a range of potential outcomes and develop strategies to help mitigate the potential impact of tariffs on its business in the short and long term. That team is managing current inventory levels in certain jurisdictions and leveraging Pfizer’s domestic manufacturing footprint, among other efforts.
    “Should we be impacted by further tariffs in the future, we will assess the impact of the policies enacted and provide information at the appropriate time,” Bourla said.
    Pfizer still expects that changes to the Medicare program resulting from the Inflation Reduction Act will hurt sales by $1 billion, dampening growth by approximately 1.6% compared to 2024.
    Stripping out one-time items, the company expects 2025 earnings to be in the range of $2.80 to $3 a share. 
    “With the underlying strength of our business, we believe we can be agile in navigating an uncertain and volatile external environment,” Bourla said in a release.
    For the first quarter, the company booked net income of $2.97 billion, or 52 cents per share. That compares with net income of $3.12 billion, or 55 cents per share, during the same period a year ago. 
    Excluding certain items, including restructuring charges and costs associated with intangible assets, the company posted earnings per share of 92 cents for the quarter.
    Pfizer reported revenue of $13.72 billion for the first quarter, down 8% from the same period a year ago.

    Covid sales

    The company said the decrease in sales was primarily driven by a decline in revenue for Paxlovid, which posted $491 million in sales during the first quarter, down 76% from the same period a year ago, in part due to lower Covid infections worldwide and lower international government purchases of the drug.
    The drop in sales also reflects a boost Pfizer got in the first quarter of 2024 from a final adjustment related to a previously recorded revenue reversal for Paxlovid. 
    Analysts had expected Paxlovid to generate $769.7 million in sales for the first quarter, according to StreetAccount estimates.
    Meanwhile, the company’s Covid shot, Comirnaty, booked $565 million in revenue, up 60% from the same period a year ago. That’s above the $352 million that analysts were expecting, according to StreetAccount.
    The results come as shot makers like Pfizer face uncertainty over immunization policy and regulation under Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent vaccine skeptic who now oversees the nation’s federal health agencies.
    As secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Kennedy has pursued a sweeping overhaul of different agencies, cutting staff, consolidating or eliminating offices and taking actions that could ultimately undermine vaccines.
    This story is developing. Please check back for updates. More

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    Donald Trump Jr. co-founds new private members club, Executive Branch, with a $500,000 fee

    A new private membership club in Washington, D.C., co-founded by Donald Trump Jr. is charging a $500,000 membership fee — and there’s already a waiting list.
    The club, called Executive Branch, held a launch party on Saturday night that included at least a half dozen members of President Donald Trump’s administration as well as wealthy CEOs, tech founders and policy experts.
    Executive Branch will open sometime in the next month or so at a location in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

    A new private membership club in Washington, D.C., co-founded by Donald Trump Jr., is charging a $500,000 membership fee — and there’s already a waiting list.
    The club, called Executive Branch, held a launch party on Saturday night that included at least a half dozen members of President Donald Trump’s administration as well as wealthy CEOs, tech founders and policy experts, according to people familiar with the club who declined to be named speaking about it publicly.

    Executive Branch was founded by Donald Trump Jr., along with Omeed Malik and Christopher Buskirk of 1789 Capital, the investment firm that made Trump Jr. a partner last year. Other founders include Alex Witkoff and Zach Witkoff, the sons of billionaire real estate developer Steve Witkoff, a longtime friend of the President’s and the current Middle East envoy.
    Founding members include White House crypto czar David Sacks, crypto investors Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss and tech investor Chamath Palihapitiya, the people familiar told CNBC.
    In addition to the $500,000 membership fee, the club will charge annual dues, which have yet to be disclosed.
    Executive Branch will open sometime in the next month or so at a location in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., those people said.

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    Executive Branch is the latest in a wave of private membership clubs that have opened since the Covid pandemic in cities like New York, Miami and Los Angeles. The clubs offer exclusive restaurants and bars, along with meeting spaces, gyms and spas and typically come with membership fees of roughly $4,000 to $10,000. Some, like the Aman Club in New York, for example, run as high as $200,000.

    Executive Branch, at more than double the Aman Club’s cost, will be far and away one of the most expensive membership clubs in the U.S. And unlike popular membership clubs in New York, like Zero Bond, Core Club, ZZ’s or Casa Cipriani, Executive Branch will likely have a select and smaller membership, according to people familiar with the club.
    Washington insiders say Executive Branch could play a similar role in the Washington social-political circuit as the Trump International Hotel in Washington D.C. played during the first Trump administration. The Trump Hotel became a popular hangout for administration officials and Republican congressional leaders as well as foreign dignitaries, lobbyists and business leaders.
    The hotel, however, also became a magnet for ethics-related criticism, and the Trump Organization sold the hotel’s lease in 2022.
    Saturday’s launch party event for Executive Branch included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, SEC Chairman Paul Atkins, Attorney General Pam Bondi, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, deputy FBI director Dan Bongino and Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, according to people who attended.
    Also attending were several tech founders and CEOs, including AppLovin CEO Adam Foroughi, the people said.
    Prospective members of the club have to be heavily vetted and approved by its founders, according to people close to Executive Branch. Although some prospective members have offered to pay $1 million to join, membership requires a referral and close screening.
    “We don’t want members of the media or just a lot of lobbyists joining,” said one person close to the club. “We want people to feel comfortable having conversations in privacy.” More

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    Temu adds ‘import charges’ of about 145% after Trump tariffs, more than doubling price of many items

    Chinese e-tailer Temu has started adding “import charges” to customer orders in response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs on China.
    Some of the fees range between 130% and 150%, more than doubling the cost of those items.
    Earlier this month, Temu warned that it would be raising its prices “due to recent changes in global trade rules and tariffs.”

    Jaque Silva | Nurphoto | Getty Images

    Chinese e-tailer Temu has started adding “import charges” of about 145% in response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
    The fees, which began cropping up over the weekend after price hikes went into effect on Friday, cost more than the individual products consumers are buying and can more than double the price of a typical order.

    For example, a summer dress sold on Temu for $18.47 will cost $44.68 after $26.21 in import charges are added to the bill, a 142% surcharge, a CNBC analysis shows. A child’s bathing suit priced at $12.44 will cost shoppers $31.12 when the $18.68 import charge is taken into account, a staggering 150% fee. A handheld vacuum cleaner listed at $16.93 now costs $40.11 when factoring in an import charge of $21.68, which is a roughly 137% markup.

    Items for sale on Temu with import charges.
    Courtesy: Temu

    “Items imported into the U.S. may be subject to import charges. These charges cover all customs-related processes and costs, including import fees paid to customs authorities on your behalf,” Temu explains on its website. “The amount listed may not represent the actual amount paid to customs authorities.” 
    Representatives from Temu didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
    Rival discount retailer Shein has also hiked prices on its site, but it doesn’t appear to be implementing import charges. The company added a banner at checkout that states, “Tariffs are included in the price you pay. You’ll never have to pay extra at delivery.”
    The moves come after Temu and Shein warned earlier this month that they would raise their prices after Trump slapped a 145% tariff on many imports from China and vowed to end the de minimis exemption on May 2. The widely criticized loophole helped accelerate Temu and Shein’s growth in the U.S. because it allowed most packages to enter the country duty free, as long as the imports were valued under $800. 

    “Due to recent changes in global trade rules and tariffs, our operating expenses have gone up,” Temu said on its site earlier this month. “To keep offering the products you love without compromising on quality, we will be making price adjustments starting April 25, 2025.”
    The import fees erode the value proposition that made Temu popular with consumers in the first place. Temu, which is owned by Chinese e-commerce giant PDD Holdings, has skyrocketed in popularity in the U.S. since its launch in 2022 by blanketing the internet with ads proclaiming users can “Shop like a billionaire.” Though shipping times could be long, consumers flocked to the site because the rock-bottom prices on clothing, electronics and home goods made the extra wait worth it.
    Temu allowed cash-strapped consumers struggling to afford essentials like groceries and housing to splurge on nice-to-have items like new clothes or home decor without the steep price tag. Now, the prices of many of its products will be more aligned with U.S. competitors like Amazon, Walmart and Target, but could still take more than a week to arrive.
    Temu has sharply slashed its online ad spending in the U.S. since Trump announced sweeping tariffs. Temu’s ranking in Apple’s app store has since plummeted to No. 73, after consistently ranking in the top 10, according to Sensor Tower data. Shein is currently at 54, down from 15 last month.

    ‘It was nice while it lasted’

    Temu shoppers have flooded a Reddit forum with posts decrying the tariff-induced import charges in the days since the company raised prices. In one post titled “R.I.P. Temu, it was nice while it lasted,” a user wrote that the price of items “went flying up” on Friday.
    “From shopping like a billionaire to shopping like a peasant in one day,” a user wrote in a separate Reddit post on Saturday.
    Macinzi Morris, a Temu customer who lives in southeastern Missouri, said she ordered a set of succulent pots for $12.25 before the company began raising prices. By Friday, the pots went up to $30, she said.
    Morris buys yoga supplies, clothing and a variety of other products from the site “a couple times a month,” but she expects to shop elsewhere now that Temu items are more expensive.
    “There’s no point in paying a 140% upcharge when I can get the same thing on Amazon for the same price and usually get it a little faster,” Morris said.
    Some news outlets and consumers have tracked modest price increases on individual items sold on Temu — before the import charges. It appears the new fees are only being tacked on to products that aren’t sold from local warehouses in the U.S. Over the last year, Temu has worked to build out U.S.-based distribution centers to shield itself from trade tensions and has reportedly pushed some sellers to store inventory in the U.S. 
    Recently, Temu has been promoting products that ship to U.S. consumers locally over those that ship directly from China. That trend has only ramped up as the company hikes prices and adds extra fees.
    For example, a scan of Temu’s “lightning deals” page on Monday showed more than 75% of the products offered had a “local” tag on them. When consumers click on the items, a bright green banner with the words “no import charges” is highlighted at the top. 

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    NFL’s Washington Commanders return to D.C. in $3.7 billion stadium deal

    The NFL’s Washington Commanders will return to the District of Columbia and redevelop their former RFK Stadium campus, the team announced Monday.
    The team has been playing at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, since 1997.
    The Commanders will invest $2.7 billion into the site, while the D.C. government will pitch in $500 million, according to a news release.

    Washington Commanders managing partner Josh Harris (L) signs a Commanders helmet while joined by Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (C) and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (R) during a news conference on construction of a new Commanders stadium in Washington, D.C., on April 28, 2025.
    Win McNamee | Getty Images

    The Washington Commanders are headed back to the District of Columbia.
    The National Football League franchise announced Monday that it had struck a deal to relocate from its current stadium in Landover, Maryland, to Washington, D.C., on the grounds of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, its home field from 1961 to 1996, which is currently being demolished.

    The Commanders will invest $2.7 billion into the site, while the city government will contribute $500 million from its existing funding for sports facilities.
    The new stadium, expected to open in 2030, will be part of a larger redevelopment project that will include housing, restaurants, parkland and retail. The city and the organization Events DC, which currently oversees the stadium campus, will invest hundreds of millions into infrastructure for parking, transportation and utilities, the release said, bringing the total cost to $3.7 billion.
    “RFK Stadium holds a legendary place in our history — it’s where the team dominated the NFL, capturing three Super Bowls and creating unforgettable memories for fans. Now, we have the opportunity to honor that legacy by building a new world-class stadium,” Commanders managing partner Josh Harris said in a news release. 
    The Commanders moved from RFK Stadium to Northwest Stadium in Landover in 1997. RFK Stadium also hosted Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals and Major League Soccer’s D.C. United at various points, but it has sat vacant for years.
    The new stadium will include a roof and have a capacity of about 65,000 seats. The Commanders expect the campus to produce 2,000 permanent jobs, $4 billion in tax revenue and more than $15.6 billion in direct spending over 30 years.

    “We are thrilled to welcome the Commanders back home to the Sports Capital. We said that we could do it all — Commanders, housing, park space, recreation, retail, entertainment and more — and, together, that’s what we are delivering,” said Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser in the release. 
    The Commanders are worth $6.25 billion, according to CNBC’s Official NFL Team Valuations 2024. More