Postal traffic to US sank 80% after Trump ended low-value parcels exemption

 

Postal traffic into the United States plunged by more than 80% after the Trump administration ended a tariff exemption for low-cost imports, the United Nations postal agency said Saturday.

 

The Universal Postal Union says it has started rolling out new measures that can help postal operators around the world calculate and collect duties, or taxes, after the U.S. eliminated the so-called "de minimis exemption” for lower-value parcels.

 

Eighty-eight postal operators have told the UPU that they have suspended some or all postal services to the United States until a solution is implemented with regard to U.S.-bound parcels valued at $800 or less, which had been the cutoff for imported goods to escape customs charges.

 

Read more:

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/postal-traffic-us-sank-80-after-trump-administration-125322625

That was a very generous cutoff at $800, I can't believe they allowed this to continue as long as possible.

 

I remember when Amazon was shipping all the music CDs and DVDs - yes, it was that long ago from Jersey which is outside the UK in order to avoid taxes and the tax free limit was real low - like 20 pounds.

They did it specifically to stop importers avoiding this kind of thing.

 

Thailand taxes everything on import, what's good for Thailand is surely good for the US

19 minutes ago, ukrules said:

That was a very generous cutoff at $800, I can't believe they allowed this to continue as long as possible.

 

It wasn't just the $800 exemption.  It was the poorly negotiated e-packet program where foreign entities from certain countries could send products all the way across the Pacific cheaper than a US company could send the same package from Dallas to Fort Worth (about 20 miles).  And if that wasn't stupid enough, it wasn't reciprocal.

I was buying stuff from Asia where the all-in price (including shipping) was less than the shipping cost alone from a US supplier.  That should have stopped long ago.

 

4 hours ago, Social Media said:

The Universal Postal Union says it has started rolling out new measures that can help postal operators around the world calculate and collect duties, or taxes, after the U.S. eliminated the so-called "de minimis exemption” for lower-value parcels.

That's the problem. After implementation they're starting to enable sending again. As long as nobody knows how much something will cost, volume will stay down and many countries will refuse sending to the US.

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

I can't believe they allowed this to continue as long as possible.

 

 

The de minimis Law was enacted by Congress in 1938.

 

 

 

 

36 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

 

The de minimis Law was enacted by Congress in 1938.

 

 

It had a good run 🤣

 

42 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

 

The de minimis Law was enacted by Congress in 1938.

 

 

 

 

So presumably it has to be removed by Congress?

Im wondering whether US made tatt and dollar crapola gets free shipping in China? Oh, really?!😅🤣