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Olga Wong

Jiang Chuqin

Danny Mok

Hongkong Post will stop accepting parcels for delivery to the United States by land and sea with immediate effect.
The postal service said on Wednesday that it would contact senders of packages that had not been shipped yet to arrange for a return of their items and a refund, starting from April 22. Parcels containing only documents would not be affected, it added.
“The US government said it will eliminate the duty-free de minimis treatment for postal items dispatched from Hong Kong to the US and increase the tariffs for postal items containing goods to the US starting from May 2,” Hongkong Post said.
“The United States is unreasonable, bullying and imposing tariffs abusively.”
The service also said it would no longer accept items containing goods intended for the US via airmail starting from April 27.
“For sending items to the US, the public in Hong Kong should be prepared to pay exorbitant and unreasonable fees due to the US’ unreasonable and bullying acts,” it said.
It also urged members of the public to call its inquiry hotline at 2921 2222 if they had any questions.
The move came after US President Donald Trump’s latest announcement last week to further raise tariffs on small parcels sent to his country from mainland China and Hong Kong to 120 per cent from 90 per cent.
Trump said the “de minimis” trade exemption for goods from the mainland and Hong Kong would cease on May 2.
The postal fee per item will be raised to US$100 from the earlier US$75 after May 2 and to US$200 from the planned US$150 after June 1.
Andrew Kwok Chi-wah, president of the Hong Kong Small and Medium Enterprises Association, said while his group supported the government’s stance, he expected that the new measures would significantly increase costs for local small e-commerce businesses.
“We are now looking for neighbouring countries that have not been impacted by tariffs on small parcels and are considering using them as temporary transfer spots [to collect or send parcels to and from the US],” Kwok said.
“But such a transfer point has not yet appeared.”
Gioia Sloane, who works in the education industry and has lived in Hong Kong since 2006, said the changes in policies would affect her ability to mail gifts and big boxes to her family in the US.

“Other choices are too expensive. I have to downsize my boxes more,” the 57-year-old said after she heard about the changes while trying to mail a present to the Netherlands at the post office in Central.
She also said she expected another change, calling the back-and-forth modifications “a madness reflective from the top”.
“It started in February. ‘You could not’, then ‘you could’. I was so happy, and I sent a gift to my mother when the ban was lifted. Now I am expecting it might change again,” Sloane said.
The Hong Kong government earlier called the tariff imposition an act of bullying by the US to suppress its competitors, adding that authorities would monitor the situation closely and take measures to safeguard the city’s rights, including filing complaints with the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Meanwhile, several major couriers in the city continued to deliver parcels to the US, but the specific details regarding tariffs remained unclear.
A customer hotline staff member from SF Express said the firm still delivered packages to the US, but the exact tariff for parcels mailed on Wednesday was not known and would only be determined after US customs clearance.
The staff member further added that the recipients would be required to pay the tariff as usual.
A frontline staff member at another courier, UPS, said that for packages to the US valued at more than US$800, the tariff for parcels sent on Wednesday would be 145 per cent of the value of the mailed goods.
The employee added that the transport fees, which were the responsibility of the sender, remained unchanged.
A customer service staff member at DHL said the tariff for US-bound packages would only be confirmed after the customs clearance process on arrival.


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Hong Kong politics

Hongkong Post won’t accept US-bound parcels amid Trump tariff war

The Hongkong Post post a notice at the General Post Office in Central, stating that with immediate effect (April 16), the acceptance of surface mail containing goods destined for the United States will be suspended, and that the acceptance of airmail will be suspended with effect from April 27. Photo: Jelly Tse

Gioia Sloane, a 57-year-old working in education who has lived in Hong Kong since 2006, has been left frustrated by the changes in policies. Photo: Jelly Tse

Hong Kong exporters warned against evading US tariffs on small parcels

Parcels being sorted at the General Post Office in Central. US President Donald Trump has further raised tariffs on small parcels sent to the United States from mainland China and Hong Kong to 120 per cent. Photo: Nora Tam

Willy Lin, chairman of the Hong Kong Shippers’ Council, has warned the city’s exporters against evading US tariffs, saying they could face prosecution and damage their companies’ reputations. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

The US has accused Chinese online marketplaces of taking advantage of a loophole in the “de minimis” rule to send goods to America without paying duties. Photo: Jelly Tse

Trump triples tariff to 90% on small parcels from mainland China, Hong Kong

People mail parcels at the General Post Office in Central. Photo: Jelly Tse

Last week, President Donald Trump announced the “de minimis” trade exemption would end on May 2. Photo: Jelly Tse

News

Hong Kong

Politics

Postal service suspends land and sea delivery with immediate effect, while airmail packages will be turned away from April 27


Postal service suspends land and sea delivery with immediate effect, while airmail packages will be turned away from April 27.
