USPS suspends shipments from China and Hong Kong, impacting Shein and Temu orders (Update: decision now reversed)

[midian182]

What just happened? Bad news for the many American citizens who like to bargain hunt on Chinese shopping platforms Shein and Temu. The US Postal Service has announced that it is suspending all inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong until further notice. The move comes after President Trump ended an exception that allows packages valued under $800 to be shipped to US customers tariff-free.

Update: The USPS has reversed its decision to suspend shipments from China and Hong Kong, just hours after initially announcing the move. The service stated that it is working closely with Customs and Border Protection to implement an efficient collection mechanism for the new China tariffs, aiming to minimize disruptions to package delivery.

The original story follows below:

The Trump administration implemented an additional 10% tariff on a range of products from China on Tuesday, leading to the Asian nation announcing retaliatory measures, including tariffs on US goods and an antitrust investigation into Google.

Trump's executive order also ended the "de minimis" exemption on import tariffs. The legal term describes the US waiver of standard customs procedures and tariffs on imported items worth less than $800 that are shipped to individuals. The US had one of the world's highest thresholds for this exemption: it is $169 in the UK and $156 in the EU.

The USPS said that letters and flats, defined as mail that measures up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) long or 3/4 inches (1.9 centimeters) thick, are not affected by the suspension. The postal service did not give an official reason for the move.

The impact of the suspension could be significant. US Customs and Border Protection said it processes an average of over four million de minimis imports each week, with the total volume of these shipments reaching over 1.36 billion in the fiscal 2024 year. Shipments entering the US under the exemption have increased by more than 600% over the last decade.

Image credit: Aranami

The provision covered around 67% of all US-bound shipments from China's mainland and Hong Kong. Shein will likely be heavily affected as it relies more on USPS for direct-to-consumer shipping from its home country.

Jacob Cooke, CEO of e-commerce marketing agency WPIC Marketing & Technologies, told The Independent that Temu will also be impacted, though to a lesser extent as it often ships bulk orders to the US before fulfilling them domestically.

US buyers of goods from Shein and Temu will likely experience disruption, cancellations, and delays to their parcels over the next couple of days, so customers may want to hold off on any purchases until the situation stabilizes.

Chinese companies are expected to turn to alternative shipping providers such as DHL, FedEx, and UPS for now. Ultimately, the extra costs will probably be passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices.

De minimis shipments have been blamed for enabling illegal drugs, especially fentanyl, to enter the United States through the mail.

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USPS suspends shipments from China and Hong Kong, impacting Shein and Temu orders (Update: decision now reversed)

 

[yRaz]

Oh no, they can't get crap from temu anymore, how tragic.....

 

[The Talking Tech]

Another disruption courtesy of Trump and his voters.

Say good-bye to the "free market" or at least not an affordable one as long as Trump is in office....or alive.

 

[The Talking Tech]

Oh no, they can't get crap from temu anymore, how tragic.....

Just because you don't like Chinese products, it doesn't mean nobody should or have the option to buy them at the price they want to sell them for.

The U.S should be better than limiting their citizens on what they can buy, of anything that's exactly what a communist country would do.

 

[yRaz]

Just because you don't like Chinese products, it doesn't mean nobody should or have the option to buy them at the price they want to sell them for.

The U.S should be better than limiting their citizens on what they can buy, of anything that's exactly what a communist country would do.

I don't hate Chinese products, I hate Temu because they are the worst of the worst products coming out of China.

 

[opckieran]

Another disruption courtesy of Trump and his voters.

Say good-bye to the "free market" or at least not an affordable one as long as Trump is in office....or alive.

Just because you don't like Chinese products, it doesn't mean nobody should or have the option to buy them at the price they want to sell them for.

The U.S should be better than limiting their citizens on what they can buy, of anything that's exactly what a communist country would do.

I’d rather not support slave labor/wages. I know Anti-Trumpers have a tough time with that, first it was “who will pick our fruit, build our homes, and wash our toilets for pennies on the dollar??” And now it’s “but muh cheap sweatshop goods!”

 

[The Talking Tech]

I don't hate Chinese products, I hate Temu because they are the worst of the worst products coming out of China.

Funny enough Temu and AliExpress are kicking Amazon's ***, which it's why Jeff Bezos asked the government to intervene against them.

Don't blame Temu, they are just providing what people want.

 

[MasterMace]

Just the GOP punishing the poor again

 

[Strontium]

Ahh, virtue signaling from the USPS. Wonders will never cease.

 

[hahahanoobs]

Ahh, virtue signaling from the USPS. Wonders will never cease.

The move comes after President Trump ended an exception that allows packages valued under $800 to be shipped to US customers tariff-free.

 

[yRaz]

Funny enough Temu and AliExpress are kicking Amazon's ***, which it's why Jeff Bezos asked the government to intervene against them.

Don't blame Temu, they are just providing what people want.

Temu is like Amazon mixed with a slot machine and the quality of products on there is basically what you'd get from an Arcade.

I have a couple friends who are hopelessly addicted to temu. One lost a charger for a laptop they got off of temu and I literally had to MAKE one for the laptop. Drilled out a hole on the side, soldered on a barrel connector in the place where the plug was and it THANKFULLY worked with a universal charger

 

[axiomatic13]

Trump folded yet again. This too has already been repealed. Hire a clown, expect a circus.

 

[Kashim]

I’d rather not support slave labor/wages. I know Anti-Trumpers have a tough time with that, first it was “who will pick our fruit, build our homes, and wash our toilets for pennies on the dollar??” And now it’s “but muh cheap sweatshop goods!”

Oh please, you don't support slave labor? How saintly of you! You know "slaves" work for free, right? Those people in China you call slaves actually get paid a decent living by their standards.

America is the richest country in the world with the highest standard of living, yet you people are constantly whining and moaning, wanting more and more. It's never enough, is it? You'd rather have those you call slave laborers have nothing and starve to death just so 'merica can have a little more.

PS. - People like you love to chalk everything up to Anti-Trumpism if someone disagrees with you, because you lack common sense and basic human decency.

 

[Rumiku]

Oh please, you don't support slave labor? How saintly of you! You know "slaves" work for free, right? Those people in China you call slaves actually get paid a decent living by their standards.

America is the richest country in the world with the highest standard of living, yet you people are constantly whining and moaning, wanting more and more. It's never enough, is it? You'd rather have those you call slave laborers have nothing and starve to death just so 'merica can have a little more.

PS. - People like you love to chalk everything up to Anti-Trumpism if someone disagrees with you, because you lack common sense and basic human decency.

Ignorance is never a befitting garment for anyone.

Indeed, slaves work for free. Not 'everyone' in China is forced to work for free; we must acknowledge this fact. Though, it is well documented about the rampant forced labor and poor conditions in areas like Xinjiang, especially for the Uyghurs and other "undesirables" China has designated (less we get started with the lithium mines). They are, in fact, forced to slave away to produce goods that are then sold through sites like Temu and even products that end up at Walmart. This is a large part of the ethics investigation Apple and other companies engage in their supply chains to "weed out" products produced via this slave labor. Conversely, we know some receive good compensation for their efforts, which also translate to increased price to the consumer. So, the adage "you get what you pay for" is rather apt.

To your second point, we are very blessed to be the richest country in the world and privileged (not the recently updated term the left insinuates) to be equal in that blessing with our standard of living. However, much of the world, compared to even just 100 years ago, enjoys a standard of living well above those living in such times. There is still quite a lot of progress to be made, but let's not get derided in hyperbole that somehow we are the only country with people who decree "more" and are never satiated. Most developed nations have this issue, but it's far from widespread or localized to the U.S. But I can agree, people should simply learn to be satisfied with what they have.

Lastly, on your "Trumpism" statement; I would venture a good wager that "Trump Haters" have engaged in orders of magnitude more vitriol, hate, vulgar displays, meltdowns, and what can only be described as "Idiocracy Manifested" than any Trump supporter has mustered against the left. Nearly universally, the right has been quite civil in the face of pure hatred that gets spewed at them for merely disagreeing with the left on a subject, let alone stating full support of Trump. It's quite sad the state of political discourse today.

 

[learninmypc]

US Postal Service flip-flops on Hong Kong-China packages, lifting a ban imposed a day earlier​

 

[Alfonso Maruccia]

Don't blame Temu, they are just providing what people want.

Electrolytes? No, wait, plants crave electrolytes...

 

[toooooot]

Funny enough Temu and AliExpress are kicking Amazon's ***, which it's why Jeff Bezos asked the government to intervene against them.

Don't blame Temu, they are just providing what people want.

Excuse me, Amazon sells the same stuff Temu does, made in the same factories in China.
Temu is cheaper, but there is a time penalty. They coexist beautifully like 2 peaceful giant animals. When you need somethign tomorrow, there is Amazon, when you need to save 3 dollars off 10 dollar item, Temu is ready to help.

 

[lonetac]

Ignorance is never a befitting garment for anyone.

Indeed, slaves work for free. Not 'everyone' in China is forced to work for free; we must acknowledge this fact. Though, it is well documented about the rampant forced labor and poor conditions in areas like Xinjiang, especially for the Uyghurs and other "undesirables" China has designated (less we get started with the lithium mines). They are, in fact, forced to slave away to produce goods that are then sold through sites like Temu and even products that end up at Walmart. This is a large part of the ethics investigation Apple and other companies engage in their supply chains to "weed out" products produced via this slave labor. Conversely, we know some receive good compensation for their efforts, which also translate to increased price to the consumer. So, the adage "you get what you pay for" is rather apt.

To your second point, we are very blessed to be the richest country in the world and privileged (not the recently updated term the left insinuates) to be equal in that blessing with our standard of living. However, much of the world, compared to even just 100 years ago, enjoys a standard of living well above those living in such times. There is still quite a lot of progress to be made, but let's not get derided in hyperbole that somehow we are the only country with people who decree "more" and are never satiated. Most developed nations have this issue, but it's far from widespread or localized to the U.S. But I can agree, people should simply learn to be satisfied with what they have.

Lastly, on your "Trumpism" statement; I would venture a good wager that "Trump Haters" have engaged in orders of magnitude more vitriol, hate, vulgar displays, meltdowns, and what can only be described as "Idiocracy Manifested" than any Trump supporter has mustered against the left. Nearly universally, the right has been quite civil in the face of pure hatred that gets spewed at them for merely disagreeing with the left on a subject, let alone stating full support of Trump. It's quite sad the state of political discourse today.

Talk about ignorance manifested x10.

And you used the word privilege the way the left does. Congrats on moving up in the world and understanding privilege.

All while crying about anti trumpists. Congrats on being what you call out.

 

[Rumiku]

Talk about ignorance manifested x10.

And you used the word privilege the way the left does. Congrats on moving up in the world and understanding privilege.

All while crying about anti trumpists. Congrats on being what you call out.

In earnest, please share with me where in my statements I was ignorant. Simply stating I was ignorant without offering any compelling argument to support your claim affords me no opportunity to review and retort. An empty statement.

As far as privilege, I politely reject this idea I used it in the same way as "the left" would. I used it in situ, rather than the current vernacular malformation in media of one who "does better" or "has more" based on skin color alone. I agreed with the assertion we were a rich country; asserted myself that it was a blessing (by our Father himself) and that such a blessing was a privilege. Thus, quod erat demonstrandum.

To your last two sentences and point, it is honestly confusing. If taken for its context in relation to my post's 3rd paragraph (directly what you reference), I demonstrably did not engage in "vitriol, hate, vulgar displays, meltdowns" towards anyone. The only person who seems upset is you; or at least what I can infer in intent via these two sentences. I could be wrong and if so, apologize.