US Postal Service Suspends Inbound Parcels from China and Hong Kong
The USPS has suspended inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong, effective immediately, following new tariffs imposed by the US and China. Letters and flat mail are not affected.
The US Postal Service (USPS) announced on Tuesday the temporary suspension of inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong, effective immediately. This decision does not affect letters and flat mail, which can still be sent from these regions.
The suspension follows the recent imposition of a 10% tariff on all goods imported from China by the US government. In response, China has announced its own tariffs, including a 10% tariff on crude oil and agricultural machinery, a 15% tariff on coal, and on liquefied natural gas.
USPS officials directed inquiries to a statement posted on their website, providing further context to the decision as it aligns with President Donald Trump's recent executive order to modify the de minimis exemption for small packages. This exemption previously allowed packages valued under $800 from China to be shipped to the US without incurring tariffs.
This change particularly impacts Chinese e-commerce retailers such as Shein and Temu, as shipments from these regions accounted for roughly 67% of US-bound packages from 2018 to 2021, according to Louise Loo, lead economist for Greater China at Oxford Economics.
Additionally, US Customs and Border Protection reported that de minimis shipments into the US surpassed 1.36 billion during the 2024 fiscal year, a more than 600% increase over the past decade. This surge has posed challenges for the enforcement of US trade laws and consumer protections.
