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The United States Postal Service (USPS) announced this Tuesday the temporary suspension of package arrivals from China and Hong Kong "until further notice."
American consumers may face an increase in prices for popular products on Chinese platforms, as well as delays in order deliveries.
The measure comes in the context of the trade tensions between Washington and Beijing and the end of the customs exemption known as "de minimis," which allowed packages valued under 800 dollars to enter without the payment of tariffs.
"Starting February 4th, the Postal Service will temporarily suspend the acceptance of international packages from China and Hong Kong until further notice. The flow of letters and envelopes will not be affected," the USPS stated in a brief announcement on its website.
The decision comes just days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that eliminated the "de minimis" exemption, in place for nearly a century, which means that low-cost shipments from China and Hong Kong will now be subject to tariffs and customs inspections.
The measure is part of Washington's trade pressure policy on Beijing, which includes a new 10% tariff on Chinese products.
Impact on Chinese E-commerce
The end of the customs exemption directly affects e-commerce giants like Shein, Temu, and AliExpress, Chinese platforms that have built their business model on selling low-cost products without tax payment.
"The flow of shipments from China to the United States under the 'de minimis' regime multiplied by 10 between 2015 and 2024, increasing from 139 to 1,360 million packages," according to data from the economic portal Yicai, cited by Europa Press.
These platforms have challenged U.S. retailers such as Amazon, eBay, and Etsy, leveraging low production costs and exemptions from customs fees to offer clothing, home goods, and electronics at minimal prices.
However, with the removal of "de minimis" and the suspension of postal services from China, companies might be forced to raise prices or alter their logistical model.
Jacob Cooke, general director of the agency WPIC Marketing + Technologies, emphasized in statements collected by AP that "unlike Temu, Shein relies more on USPS for direct shipping to consumers from China, and without this channel, it will have to turn to private carriers, which will increase logistics costs."
Although Temu will also be affected, the platform has already implemented a strategy based on wholesale shipments to warehouses in the United States to reduce costs.
Reaction of companies and logistical alternatives
To mitigate the impact of the measure, Temu has begun opening warehouses in the United States, allowing it to ship products from within the country and avoid the new tariffs.
Shein, for its part, has accelerated its expansion with local distribution centers, although its business model based on fast shipping could be significantly impacted.
The Chinese government has reacted strongly to the U.S. measure. Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that Beijing will take "necessary measures" to protect its companies, and urged Washington to "stop politicizing economic and trade issues and using them as a tool to unreasonably suppress Chinese firms."
It is unclear how long the USPS suspension will last, but the end of the "de minimis" exemption seems to indicate a long-term policy change.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported that it processes an average of more than four million imports under this mechanism each week, suggesting that the new regulation could have a massive impact on cross-border trade.
Cooke believes that Shein and Temu will simply have to rely more on private carriers as a solution to the suspension of USPS.
In the long term, Shein may be compelled to consolidate its operations in the United States, while Temu could strengthen its wholesale shipping model.
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