The United States Postal Service announced Wednesday morning that it will continue accepting incoming international parcels from China and Hong Kong, reversing a decision made late Tuesday to suspend them.
Though the initial announcement did not provide a reason for the suspension, the USPS hinted Wednesday that the move was related to new tariffs imposed on Chinese goods and the elimination of the de minimis exemption.
This exemption previously allowed packages valued under $800 to enter the U.S. without duties or customs inspections. Implementing the new import tax on a vast number of packages could present significant challenges.
“The USPS and Customs and Border Protection are working closely together to implement an efficient collection mechanism for the new China tariffs to ensure the least disruption to package delivery,” the USPS said in a statement Wednesday.
CNN has contacted USPS, FedEx, and UPS for further comment. DHL responded by stating it had been assisting customers in adjusting to the new regulations.
The temporary suspension of deliveries had raised concerns for e-commerce platforms like Shein and Temu, whose business models rely heavily on the de minimis exemption.
The relaxed restrictions allowed millions of low-cost items, from clothing to household goods, to flood the U.S. market daily. Both companies have been approached for comment.
A senior equity analyst at Morningstar, Chelsey Tam, noted in a research report that the USPS will need time to develop a process for enforcing the new tariffs on Chinese parcels.
“This is a significant challenge for them because there were 4 million de minimis packages per day in 2024, and it is difficult to check all the packages — so it will take time,” she explained.
According to a June 2023 report from a U.S. congressional committee, nearly half of all de minimis shipments originated in China. Reuters reports that this change will hit Chinese exports the hardest.
On Tuesday, Beijing retaliated against the latest U.S. tariffs with a series of countermeasures, including a 15% tax on certain types of coal and liquefied natural gas.
Additionally, it imposed a 10% tariff on crude oil, agricultural machinery, large vehicles, and pickup trucks. These measures will take effect on February 10.
China also introduced export controls on over two dozen metal products and related technologies and added two U.S. firms—biotech company Illumina and fashion retailer PVH Group—to its unreliable entities list.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry urged the U.S. to “stop politicizing economic and trade issues.”
Washington must “cease its unreasonable suppression of Chinese companies,” ministry spokesman Lin Jian said when asked about the USPS decision. “China will continue to take necessary measures to firmly defend the legitimate rights of Chinese companies.”
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump commented that he was in “no rush” to speak with Chinese leader Xi Jinping regarding the escalating trade tensions. This came just a day after hinting the two leaders could hold a conversation soon.
Although it’s unclear if the USPS’ initial suspension was directly linked to the executive order, experts warned that parcel deliveries into the U.S. would face significant delays if every package had to be inspected.
Currently, U.S. Customs and Border Protection holds the authority to inspect all incoming international packages, but in practice, not every item is physically checked.
