USPS Halts All Inbound Packages From China And Hong Kong—Here’s What To Know

The U.S. Postal Service announced the suspension of all incoming packages from China and Hong Kong Posts on Tuesday evening—a likely fallout of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on all Chinese imports going into effect—in a move that will likely severely disrupt operations for major e-commerce platforms like Shein, Temu and Amazon Haul.

The USPS announced the suspension of all inbound packages from China and Hong Kong on Tuesday.

Getty Images

Key Facts

In a notice on its website, the United States Postal Service described the suspension as temporary, without specifying a timeline other than “until further notice.”

The postal service said this suspension only impacts international packages from the China and Hong Kong Posts, but the “flow of letters and flats from China and Hong Kong will not be impacted.”

The move comes after the Trump administration’s sweeping 10% tariffs on all Chinese goods went into effect after midnight on Tuesday—which also closed the “de minimis” exemption that allowed packages valued under $800 to be processed without paying any customs duties or tariffs.

Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you’ll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.

Will The Suspension Impact Temu And Shein Orders?

The USPS’ suspension is likely to cause a major disruption in the operations of popular low-cost e-commerce platforms like Temu, Shein and Amazon Haul. All three services, which offered products at “crazy low prices,” relied on both low-cost shipments from China and the duties exemptions offered under the “de minimis” rule.

Surprising Fact

The USPS describes “flats” or large envelopes as packages with dimensions up to 15 inches long, 3/4 inches thick and a maximum weight of 16 ounces. These “flats” are exempted from the suspension, but it is unclear if e-commerce companies will be able to use these packages to ship merchandise.

This is a developing story.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *