USPS halts China parcels amid trump tariff tensions
The United States Postal Service has suspended accepting shipments from China and Hong Kong. According to the USPS website, residents of the United States will not receive parcels from these locations "until further notice. "
According to a statement on the postal service's website, this change takes effect immediately and will remain "until further notice. " Letters and large envelopes, referred to as "flats," sent from China and Hong Kong are not subject to this suspension.
Trump halted accepting shipments under "de minimis" as part of his plan to introduce an additional 10% tariff on China and 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico. On Monday, Trump agreed to delay imposing tariffs on Canada and Mexico for 30 days, but the tax on goods from China remains in force.
End of "de minimis"
The USPS did not comment on whether this move is a consequence of U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to end the acceptance of shipments under "de minimis" from China and other countries. Under this regulation, exporters could send packages worth below £650 to the United States without duty.
The "de minimis" regulation was a key tool for Chinese e-commerce companies, including Shein and Temu. These companies seek to increase their presence in the United States by offering very low prices on many items, from clothing and furniture to electronics and home decorations.
The United States received over 1.3 billion "de minimis" shipments in 2024. According to a June 2023 report by the U.S. congressional committee on China, nearly half of all packages sent under "de minimis" come from China.
It is unclear whether the suspension affects parcel shipments sent via private postal carriers from China and Hong Kong.
