Etsy Artisans, Shoppers Poised for Pain as Tariff Loophole Ends

Pam Duthie, a 51-year-old UK-based artisan, built her business selling Americans a unique way to capture their love of their furry friends.

Her craft venture, selling miniature stuffed replicas of dogs and cats on Etsy Inc., went international thanks to a US law that exempted small packages from import taxes.

That business model that Duthie and scores of other online sellers have used for years was threatened earlier this month when President Donald Trump announced a raft of new tariffs in an effort to overhaul the global economy — including eliminating the exemption for parcels worth up to $800. ...