Hong Kong
CNN
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The US Postal Service says it has temporarily suspended the acceptance of incoming international parcels from China and Hong Kong until further notice.
It did not provide a reason for the suspension, but said in a statement Tuesday the flow of letters will not be affected. The Postal Service did not provide any additional information on the suspension when contacted by CNN.
The announcement comes just days after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that terminated the “de minimis” exemption, a long-standing rule that allowed anyone, including exporters, to ship packages worth less than $800 to the United States without duties or needing to undergo inspections.
The new rule is likely to affect e-commerce sites like Shein and Temu, which have built their gargantuan business models around this exemption. The relaxed restrictions and tax exemptions on cheap products have allowed more than a billion packages to pour into the US at low prices for consumers looking for deals on clothing to household goods.
While it is unclear whether the suspension was related to the executive order, experts have told CNN the delivery of international parcels into the US would be “slowed down” if every package must be examined.
Currently, US Customs and Border Protection has the authority to open and inspect all international packages, though in practice it doesn’t open every single item.
This is a developing story and will be updated.