The United States Postal Service has announced the suspension of incoming international parcel services from China and Hong Kong until further notice.
Although the agency did not offer a reason for the decision, it clarified in a statement on Tuesday that the suspension will not affect letter deliveries.
When contacted by CNN, the Postal Service provided no additional details.
This development comes just days after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending the long-standing “de minimis” exemption.
The rule previously allowed packages valued at less than $800 to enter the United States duty-free and without inspection.
Additionally, a broad-based 10% tariff on Chinese imports to the US came into effect on Tuesday.
CNN has reached out to DHL and FedEx for comments regarding the situation.
The suspension of the de minimis exemption is expected to impact e-commerce platforms such as Shein and Temu, which have thrived under the relaxed restrictions that enabled millions of low-cost packages to flow into the US.
This exemption has been a key factor in providing American consumers with affordable products, from clothing to household goods.
According to a June 2023 report by a US congressional committee, nearly half of all packages sent under the de minimis exemption originated from China.
The change will therefore have a significant impact on Chinese shipments.
In response to the new US tariffs, Beijing introduced its own economic measures on Tuesday. These include a 15% tax on certain coal and liquefied natural gas imports, as well as a 10% tariff on crude oil, large-displacement vehicles, agricultural machinery, and pickup trucks. These measures will take effect on February 10.
China also imposed new export controls on more than two dozen metal products and related technologies.
Additionally, it added biotech company Illumina and fashion retailer PVH Group to its unreliable entities list.
Despite mounting tensions, Trump said on Tuesday that he was in “no rush” to hold talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, even though he had previously suggested the possibility of a discussion within the next 24 hours.
While it is unclear if the suspension of parcel services is connected to Trump’s executive order, experts told CNN that the inspection of every package could slow down international deliveries significantly.
Although US Customs and Border Protection has the authority to inspect all incoming international packages, it does not typically open every item in practice.
