The United States Postal Service (USPS) has announced a temporary suspension on accepting incoming packages from China and Hong Kong. This decision is reflected on the USPS website.

Starting from February 4, this change will not affect the delivery of letters and flats from these regions, as indicated on the website. There has been no immediate comment from USPS regarding a possible connection to President Donald Trump’s recent cancellation of “de minimis” shipments from China and other nations.

Trump’s decision to stop the Section 321 de minimis initiative coincides with the introduction of a 10% tariff on goods from China and a 25% tax on items from Canada and Mexico, albeit the tariffs on Canada and Mexico are currently on hold for a month.

According to a report from a U.S. congressional committee on China released in June 2023, almost 50% of all “de minimis” packages originate from China.

Reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman