Image Prompt:
A Hong Kong postal worker in a uniform stands in front of a split background, with a US postal truck on one side and a Hong Kong postal truck on the other, with a red "X" marked through the connection between them, symbolizing a halt in postal service between the two.
Summary
Hong Kong has suspended its postal service to the US in response to President Trump's decision to eliminate the de minimis exception for items posted from Hong Kong to the US, imposing tariffs on shipments worth $800 or less. The move is seen as retaliation against the US' 'unreasonable, bullying and abusive' tariffs and affects both surface and airmail packages containing goods.
Key Points
- Hong Kong's postal service suspension affects goods, but not documents, and will drive up costs as companies and individuals must use private couriers like FedEx and DHL
- The US had closed a loophole allowing retailers to send goods from China and Hong Kong to the US without paying tariffs if the shipment was worth less than $800
- Hong Kong's top government adviser, Regina Ip, believes the US business sector is also a 'victim' of the Trump tariff war and that the city should distinguish between the US administration and business sector
- The suspension is seen as Hong Kong being drawn into China's camp in the trade war, as the city is a separate customs territory and free port