USPS has suspended the acceptance of international packages from China and Hong Kong, according to media reports.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has announced that it will cease accepting packages from China and Hong Kong.

This was reported in an article by The Wall Street Journal.

The postal service's decision follows the directive from U.S. President Donald Trump to eliminate the de minimis rule, which allowed anyone to send packages worth less than $800 to the United States without customs duties or inspections. This rule has been widely utilized by Chinese online platforms, including Shein and Temu.

According to an analysis by the U.S. Congressional Research Service, goods from China and Hong Kong accounted for approximately one-third of de minimis imports in 2023. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that in the fiscal year 2024, around $1.36 billion in shipments used the de minimis rule.

Packages from China that previously qualified for de minimis exemption will now be subject to tariffs imposed during Trump's first administration, which have largely been maintained throughout Biden's term. They will also incur an additional 10% tariff on all imports from China.

As reported by Reuters, Chinese suppliers have exploited duty-free shipments to export fentanyl chemical components, disguising them as electronics and other cheap goods.

USPS noted that the new restrictions will not apply to letters and so-called flats—mail items measuring up to 38 cm in length and 1.9 cm in thickness. However, the service did not comment on whether this decision is directly related to the cancellation of de minimis for China and other countries.

“We believe it will take USPS some time to develop a mechanism for collecting the new taxes before allowing Chinese packages to enter the U.S. again,” stated Chelsea Tam, a senior analyst at Morningstar.

“This will pose a serious challenge, as in 2024 there were 4 million packages arriving daily due to de minimis. Verifying all these shipments is very complex, so the process will require time,” added the expert.

Background. Earlier, Mind reported that U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada due to “the emergency threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs.”