China slams U.S. suspension of parcels
The US Customs and Border Protection agency said exemption shipments were worth over $1.36 billion in 2024.
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The US Customs and Border Protection agency said exemption shipments were worth over $1.36 billion in 2024.
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BEIJING (AFP) — Beijing accused the United States Wednesday of “suppression” after its postal service said it was suspending parcels from China and Hong Kong, a move that could hit e-commerce giants Temu and Shein.
Tensions between the US and China have soared in recent days as the world’s two largest economies slapped a volley of tariffs on each others’ imports, hitting hundreds of billions of dollars in trade.
On Tuesday, the US Postal Service (USPS) also scrapped a duty-free exemption for low-value packages.
The “de minimis” exemption allows goods valued at $800 or below to enter the US without paying duties or certain taxes, but it has faced scrutiny due to a surge in shipments in recent years.
In a statement last month, the US Customs and Border Protection agency said exemption shipments were worth over $1.36 billion in 2024, creating challenges for its enforcement of trade laws, health and safety requirements, intellectual property rights and consumer protection rules.
US officials have pointed to the growth of Chinese-founded online retailers Shein and Temu as a key factor behind this increase — and Tuesday’s halt could delay parcels from both companies from entering the country.
Beijing responded with fury to the move, accusing the US of “politicizing trade and economic issues and using them as tools.”
Vowing to “take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies,” foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian accused Washington of “unreasonable suppression.”
Washington has been looking to tighten the “de minimis” rules, saying the growth in shipments makes it harder to screen goods for security risks.
But the USPS gave no reason for its pause on Tuesday.
Agence France-Presse has reached out to Shein and Temu for comment.
Other retailers such as Amazon might also be impacted.
Although earlier it appeared that US parcels could still be sent from Macau, by Wednesday evening the semi-autonomous Chinese city’s post office announced that its service was also suspended.
