Hold onto your parcels! 📦✈️ A major shake-up in global mail just hit: 25 countries have paused postal shipments to the U.S. Why? Uncertainty over new customs rules starting August 29, when the U.S. ends the "de minimis" exemption for imports under $800, meaning duty-free days are over.
What's going on?
The Universal Postal Union (UPU), a UN agency with 192 members, says its members need clarity on the revamped process. UPU Director General Masahiko Metoki even wrote to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to sort things out.
Why it matters
- 📈 E-commerce squeeze: Small online shops and SMEs that send lots of packages will feel the pinch first.
- 💸 Price hikes: Companies from Walmart to Adidas are tweaking prices – some items are up to 22% more expensive.
- 🏠 Consumer cost: With U.S. import duties at their highest since 1934, each household could lose about $2,000 a year.
Expert intel
Wang Shuo, a professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University on the Chinese mainland, warns the blowback is real. "Even American SMEs can't escape the squeeze," he says, pointing out that higher costs often get passed to shoppers.
What's next?
The UPU is racing to get answers from Washington and prep its members for impact. For those of us in South and Southeast Asia, this could mean slower or pricier cross-border deliveries – whether you're sending Diwali gifts, ordering K-drama merch, or running a startup on Shopee or Tokopedia.
Stay tuned as this story unfolds and keep an eye on your tracking numbers! 🚀
Reference(s):
25 countries halt mail to U.S. over tax uncertainty: UN postal body
cgtn.com
