U.S. Postal Service Suspends Inbound Packages from China Amid Trade War
The U.S. Postal Service has suspended inbound package shipments from China and Hong Kong due to President Trump's trade war, potentially delaying various retail parcels.
The U.S. Postal Service has abruptly suspended inbound package shipments from China and Hong Kong as President Donald Trump's trade war intensifies.
Effective Tuesday morning, President Trump implemented a 10 percentage point tariff increase on Chinese imports after previously backing off plans to levy duties on goods from Canada and Mexico. In retaliation, Beijing announced 15 percent tariffs on imports of U.S. coal, liquefied natural gas, agricultural equipment, and other products.
The majority of goods shipped from China do not come through the mail system; however, Trump's order has specifically revoked the "de minimis" tariff exemption for small quantities of low-value items, including those sent via the postal service. This exemption previously covered items valued under $800.
This move could block or delay packages from retailers such as Shein and Temu, and some shipments from Amazon from entering the United States.
According to reports from the Peterson Institute, Temu and Shein account for approximately 30 percent of daily packages shipped to the U.S. Nearly half of all de minimis shipments are reported to originate from China, as noted in a House Republican congressional report.
Trade experts indicate that these platforms have significantly increased imports since fiscal year 2015, where de minimis entries were around 139 million. By fiscal year 2023, this number had increased by 600 percent to 1.36 billion.
Both the Postal Service and Amazon have refrained from commenting on this new development.
Rep. Jason T. Smith (R-Missouri), chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, stated, "President Trump is ensuring that China can no longer avoid applicable tariffs simply by exporting packages with relatively low values." He further mentioned the committee's investigation into how de minimis is exploited by China and other nations, which undermines U.S. trade enforcement and laws.
However, lawmakers from both parties have expressed concerns over Trump's implementation. Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-Massachusetts), the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, criticized the lack of foresight in the rollout, stating, "This would be easily avoidable if anyone knew what they were doing." He emphasized the need for trade policy to originate from Congress.
