Hongkong Post Shuts Down Goods Shipments to U.S., Citing “Bullying” Tariff Hike

Shipping goods from Hong Kong to the United States is about to face a major disruption. Hongkong Post has announced it will suspend all postal services involving goods bound for the U.S., citing recent changes to American trade policies that eliminate duty-free allowances and sharply increase tariffs on incoming items.

In a statement released today, the agency said the U.S. government’s decision to end the “de minimis” duty-free treatment for small-value goods effective May 2 is not only abrupt but also unjust. Hongkong Post criticized the U.S. for what it described as “unreasonable, bullying, and abusive” use of tariffs and made it clear it would not collect such fees on America’s behalf.

As a result, the suspension of surface mail shipments containing goods went into immediate effect on April 16, while airmail services will stop accepting packages with goods starting April 27.

The only items exempt from the suspension are documents that do not contain goods. Hongkong Post emphasized that mail containing paperwork or non-merchandise materials will continue as usual.

For customers who’ve already sent surface mail items containing goods that haven’t yet left Hong Kong, the postal service says it will reach out to arrange returns and process postage refunds beginning April 22.

The agency also warned Hong Kong residents to brace for higher costs if they choose alternative methods to send items to the U.S., as the new tariff structure will likely lead to significantly increased fees.

For those needing more information, Hongkong Post is directing inquiries to its customer hotline.