Michael Race & João da Silva
Business reporters, BBC News
The US Postal Service (USPS) has resumed accepting parcels from mainland China and Hong Kong following a brief suspension after Donald Trump changed the rules on import taxes.
USPS said it was working with US Customs and Border Protection to ensure “the least disruption” to package deliveries as the US president announced trade measures which included higher tariffs on Chinese goods.
The US also ended a policy that allowed small packages worth $800 (£641) or less to be sent to America without paying taxes or fees.
Chinese retailers, such as online giants Shein and Temu, have used the exemption to ship low-value packages to the US and have benefited from similar rules in the UK and the European Union (EU) to reach millions of customers.
The explosion of parcels being shipped under the loophole has prompted increased scrutiny in recent years. While all retailers use the exemption, those who sell fast-fashion and cheap goods have seen their sales soar.
It has prompted concerns that domestic retailers are being undercut and governments are missing out on potential tax income.
Nick Stowe, chief executive of Monsoon Accessorize, told the BBC’s Today programme he was in support of the changes in the US.
“It has long been a complaint of UK retailers, European retailers as well as the US retailers that Shein are exploiting this loophole, not paying customs duty and they have built a business at an industrial scale,” he said.
America’s change to stop low-value products being shipped tax-free under the so-called “de minimis” exemption came into force on Tuesday.
The postal service initially halted parcels from China overnight but restarted them on Wednesday, stating: “The USPS and Customs and Border Protection are working closely together to
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