The US Postal Service has announced a temporary suspension of accepting international parcels from China and Hong Kong until further notice. While the reason for this change was not specified, the service assured that the flow of letters will remain unaffected.
This decision comes in the wake of President Donald Trump's recent executive order that terminated the long-standing 'de minimis' exemption. This exemption allowed packages valued at less than $800 to be shipped to the United States without duties or inspections. The impact of this new rule could potentially affect popular e-commerce sites such as Shein and Temu, which have relied on this exemption for their business models.
The relaxed restrictions and tax exemptions on inexpensive products have led to a significant influx of packages into the US, offering consumers access to affordable clothing and household goods. However, with the new regulations in place, the delivery of international parcels into the US may face delays as each package may now require examination.
While it remains uncertain whether the suspension is directly linked to the executive order, experts have suggested that the inspection of every package could slow down the delivery process. Currently, US Customs and Border Protection has the authority to inspect all international packages, although not every single item is opened in practice.
