If you’re planning to send gifts from Hong Kong to friends or family in the US, you may need to hear the latest news from the US Postal Service before heading out to mail that parcel. The independent agency of the US federal government announced on Tuesday that it will temporarily stop accepting international parcels from Mainland China and Hong Kong. The national postal service didn’t provide any reason for the suspension, but confirmed that letters and flats (aka, large envelopes) won’t be affected by the decision.
For Hongkongers wondering if they can mail relatives and friends packages to the US by Easter, the US Postal Service didn’t provide a specific timeline for how long the suspension will last. It’s unclear if the decision is related to the elimination of the “de minimis” exception by US President Donald Trump earlier this month.
On February 1, Trump signed an executive order eliminating the (de minimis) tax exemption for small packages worth less than US$800 (HK$6,200) into the country addressed to consumers and business. This measure has for years benefitted Chinese giant e-commerce companies like Temu and Shein, as it allowed products to enter the US at very low prices.
Three days later, on February 4, Trump’s government imposed a 10% tariff on goods coming into the US from China. Beijing retaliated by imposing a 10% tariff on US goods and commodities shipped to the Mainland, including crude oil, and a 15% tariff on liquified natural gas (LNG) and coal. The tariffs will come into effect on February 10.
Image credits: US Postal Service via WikiCommons
