Washington: The United States Postal Service (USPS) has announced a temporary halt on accepting international packages from China and Hong Kong, starting February 4. This suspension only affects inbound parcels from these regions and does not impact the delivery of letters and flats.
USPS made the announcement on its official website, stating, “Effective Feb. 4, the Postal Service will temporarily suspend only international package acceptance of inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong Posts until further notice. Note that the flow of letters and flats from China and Hong Kong will not be impacted.”
In related news, President Donald Trump recently imposed a 25% tariff on goods imported from China, Mexico, and Canada. However, he postponed the tariffs on Mexico and Canada for a month while negotiations continue. In response to a 10% tariff on all Chinese goods exported to the U.S., China announced additional tariffs on various U.S. products, including a 15% tariff on coal and liquefied natural gas, and a 10% tariff on crude oil, effective February 10.
Al Jazeera reported that Trump is expected to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping soon, according to Trump’s trade adviser, Peter Navarro. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not specify when the call would occur.
China has criticized Trump’s tariff decisions but remains open to discussions to prevent escalating tensions. Meanwhile, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have agreed to a 30-day suspension of U.S. tariffs after reaching an agreement with Trump. They have also decided to deploy police to their borders with the U.S. to combat drug trafficking and undocumented migration.
A senior trade adviser to Trump noted that Mexico has been “very cooperative” in addressing the influx of fentanyl into the U.S., and Canada is beginning to recognize the need for increased efforts.