@wired: The United States Postal Services has abruptly stopped accepting all packages from Hong Kong and China until further notice, according to an international service disruption notice posted on the USPS website. The move comes after China imposed retaliatory tariffs on US imports, including coal and liquified natural gas, in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order to increase tariffs on China. Trump’s executive order, though, not only imposes an additional 10 percent tariff on goods from China but also ends a key import tax exemption, one that has enabled the rise of Chinese ecommerce platforms like Temu and Shein. Known as de minimis, the rule waives import duties for small packages valued at less than $800 shipped into the US. Originally intended to exempt personal gifts and other items that Americans send home from trips abroad, it has since allowed foreign businesses to more easily sell goods to US consumers without needing to worry about paying import taxes. The number of de minimis packages has soared in recent years as the ecommerce market has become more global, making it difficult—if not impossible—for Customs and Border Protection to keep track of all the parcels flowing into the US. Read more at WIRED.com.

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Wednesday 05 February 2025 11:49:46 GMT