A sudden outbreak! US Post stops receiving parcels from mainland China and Hong Kong

With the cancellation of the US's 10% tariff on all goods in my country and the 0 exemption quota, cross-border e-commerce logistics is coming again. The US Postal Service (USPS) announced on Tuesday evening (February 4) local time.Receiving packages sent from mainland China and Hong Kong will be suspended from February 4 until further notice.

USPS's statement stated thatLetters and pawns are not included in the scope of suspension of reception.

USPS does not provide a reason for suspension, nor does it say how long the suspension will last.

On February 4, the USPS suddenly announced that it would suspend acceptance of international inbound parcels from mainland China and Hong Kong Post Offices in China, a move that could be used to retail for Chinese cross-border e-commerce sellers and e-commerce giants such as Shein and Pinduoduo's Temu. Delays or obstacles caused by the delivery of the merchant. The news quickly caused a shock in the market, causing the stock prices of related e-commerce retailers to fall.

According to USPS, the U.S. Postal Service is currently "suspended" acceptance of parcels from China. Based on this situation, we can make the following speculation:

Packages that have entered the USPS system:

• These packages are not expected to be affected and will continue to be delivered according to normal procedures.

• However, there is still uncertainty as to whether delivery will result in delays.

Packages that have not entered the USPS system (i.e. have been sent to the United States but have not arrived at USPS yet):

• Delays in these packages seem inevitable.

• The specific duration of the delay cannot be determined at present, and you need to wait for the "separate notice" from USPS.

• As an alternative, you can consider replacing another courier company for delivery.

It is reported that the specific reasons for the restrictions on the USPS this time are not clear, but US President Trump has previously lifted the "minimum tax exemption" exemption for parcels worth less than 0. This regulation was originally frequently used by many e-commerce companies to enjoy tax benefits. However, as the United States imposed a new 10% tariff on goods from mainland China and Hong Kong from 00:00 on February 4, Washington time, the exemption was also cancelled.

Since Trump announced the imposition of comprehensive tariffs on China and canceled the tax exemption policy for goods below 0, the US line parcel market has fallen into chaos. Some logistics providers have reminded customers to truthfully fill in the goods information including but not limited to product name, amount, quantity, and purpose. National HS Code (customs code), weight, etc. cargo information. Due to the cancellation of the 0 exemption, small packets must be subject to normal customs clearance procedures. In order to deal with supply chain risks, some logistics providers have made adjustments to prices and charged customs declaration fees and prepayment of customs deposits.

Data shows that the number of goods entering the United States by applying the small exemption clause in the past 10 years has increased by more than 600%, from about 139 million pieces per year in 2015 to more than 1 billion pieces in fiscal year 2023. In fiscal 2024, the number of "small exemptions" goods rose to more than 1.36 billion pieces. According to media reports, "small exemptions" goods will not be strictly inspected by US customs, and will also vigorously impact the US consumer market. Several industrial groups, trade unions and lawmakers from both parties have urged to take measures to eliminate them. In addition, Temu and Shein are also accused of affecting the global air freight market and pushing up transportation costs.

The incident highlights the vulnerability of global companies in Sino-US trade relations. Any deterioration in Sino-US trade relations could further exacerbate the challenges facing businesses. Analysts point out that although many companies' international transportation has no longer relied heavily on the United States Postal Service (USPS) in recent years, their restrictions may still have some impact on Chinese e-commerce, although this impact may be relatively limited.

It is worth noting that the US Postal Service (USPS) stated in a statement that letters and peace copies from China and Hong Kong will not be affected by the restrictions. However, this change will undoubtedly bring certain challenges for Chinese cross-border e-commerce sellers who rely on international parcel transportation.

The Chinese e-commerce market responded quickly to the incident, and the stock prices of companies such as Alibaba and JD.com fell in the Hong Kong market. Although these companies, along with Temu, Shein and Amazon, have not commented on the matter, the market has already felt the pressure from tensions in China-US trade relations.

In addition, Washington's crackdown on vulnerabilities that have been exploited by cross-border e-commerce and retailers over the years, allowing them to ship large quantities of small parcels and gain an advantage in their competition with rivals such as Amazon. However, critics also pointed out that a large number of parcels from China are difficult to track and may contain illegal or dangerous goods, which is one of the reasons why the United States has strengthened regulation.