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Temu cuts US ads on Google, Meta after Trump’s tariffs, as app downloads plunge

The Chinese-backed shopping app has been a significant advertiser since launching in the US in September 2022

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Temu is slashing its ad spending in the US as President Donald Trump raises tariffs on Chinese goods. Photo: Reuters
Coco Fengin GuangdongandXinmei Shenin Hong Kong
Online shopping platform Temu, owned by PDD Holdings, has suspended its advertising spending on major US channels such as Google and Meta Platforms, as new US tariffs pose challenges to its business model.

Since April 12, the daily number of advertisements placed on Google by Temu’s main entity, WhaleCo, has plummeted to just 14, a sharp decline from between 30,000 and 60,000 from April 6 to 9, according to the Google Ads Transparency Centre.

Temu has “turned off all their Google Shopping ads in the US” as of April 9, Mike Ryan, head of e-commerce insights at online advertising agency Smarter Ecommerce, said on LinkedIn. Google Shopping is one of five advertising categories available to businesses, alongside Maps, Play Store, search and YouTube.

On Meta’s platforms – including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – Temu ads had dwindled to four by Wednesday, according to data released by the social media giant. Meta did not provide historic numbers for comparison.

An employee packages garments for Temu at a clothing factory in Guangzhou, southern China. Photo: AFP
An employee packages garments for Temu at a clothing factory in Guangzhou, southern China. Photo: AFP

Since launching in the US in September 2022, Temu has been a significant advertiser.

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