The US Postal Service has temporarily halted international parcel shipments from China and Hong Kong.
This follows President Donald Trump’s recent move to close a trade loophole that previously allowed low-value packages from China to enter the US duty-free.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration implemented an additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports, which took effect on Tuesday. The administration also tightened regulations on the “de minimis” exemption, which had allowed importers and consumers to bypass tariffs on shipments valued at less than $800.
The Postal Service clarified that the suspension does not affect the delivery of letters and flat mail from China and Hong Kong. However, it did not specify whether this decision was directly linked to Trump’s policy changes on de minimis shipments.
Trump’s decision to impose higher tariffs came after repeated warnings to Beijing over its failure to curb the flow of illicit drugs into the US, particularly fentanyl.