Despite the United States Postal Service (USPS) overturning its decision to stop accepting packages from China and Hong Kong, Hong Kong Post will continue to suspend postal items bound for the United States.
On Thursday (February 6), Hong Kong Post issued a statement stating that it “will continue to suspend the delivery service of cargo bound for the United States until further notice.”
A spokesperson for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government stated in the announcement that “Hong Kong Post has been in communication with the United States Postal authorities, but there are still matters that need to be further clarified, including the U.S. request for additional tariff imposition.”
The sudden announcement by the USPS on Tuesday to stop accepting packages from China and Hong Kong caused confusion and chaos among retailers and courier companies.
One of the clauses in President Trump’s tariff executive order requires all packages sent from China to the United States to undergo customs inspection. The United States has canceled the “low-value tax exemption” policy originally applicable to items valued below $800 coming from China and Hong Kong, and imposed a 10% U.S. tariff on them.
After the Trump administration revoked the right of retailers (including Temu, Shein, and Amazon) to use the “low-value tax exemption,” the USPS subsequently withdrew the 12-hour suspension.
On Wednesday, the USPS issued an update stating that as of February 5, 2025, it will continue to accept all international inbound mail and packages from China and Hong Kong. The USPS and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are closely collaborating to implement an effective mechanism for collecting the new tariffs on Chinese goods to ensure minimal disruption in package deliveries.
This is the first time the U.S. government has explicitly stipulated that goods manufactured, imported, and transshipped from Hong Kong must be declared and subject to the same tariffs as Chinese goods.
According to Reuters, under new measures issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Customs and Border Protection, as Hong Kong falls under Chinese jurisdiction, it is also subject to the tariffs imposed on Chinese goods. The announcement clearly states that “goods from China, including goods from Hong Kong… will be subject to an additional ad valorem tax rate.”
Hong Kong has long been known as a hub of free and open trade, but after the Chinese government implemented the comprehensive National Security Law in Hong Kong in 2020, former U.S. President Trump announced the cancellation of Hong Kong’s special trade status.
Subsequently, the U.S. stipulated that goods manufactured in Hong Kong and exported to the United States must be labeled as “Made in China,” thereby ending one of Hong Kong’s long-standing competitive advantages as a trade hub.