On Wednesday, the U.S. Postal Service reversed its decision to suspend incoming shipments from China, which had the potential to disrupt trade between the two countries. Just a day after announcing the suspension following President Trump’s tariffs on China, the postal service updated its statement, confirming it would “continue accepting all international inbound mail and packages” from China and Hong Kong. It also emphasized that it was working on a system to handle the new tariffs to minimize disruption to package deliveries.
The suspension did not apply to letters and flats.
Earlier, China announced it would retaliate against Trump’s 10% tariff on Chinese goods with its own tariffs, including a 15% tariff on coal and liquefied natural gas, and a 10% tariff on crude oil, agricultural machinery, and large-engine vehicles from the U.S. Additionally, Trump’s tariff increase eliminated the “de minimis” exemption, which allowed low-value packages (under $800) from China to enter the U.S. without duties or taxes. This exemption had been criticized due to the surge in such shipments, driven by companies like Shein and Temu.
U.S. officials also pointed out that the increase in shipments had made it more difficult to screen goods for security risks. In response to the suspension, China criticized the U.S. for “unreasonable suppression” of Chinese companies and urged the U.S. to stop politicizing trade and economic issues.
Trump has indicated plans to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping soon.
