HK Post halts parcel deliveries to US

Stepping into the trade war, Hong Kong said yesterday that its postal service will no longer send packages to the United States.

- ALEXANDRA STEVENSON

It is the city’s first move in a spiralling conflict between China and the United States that is reordering global shipping routes.

President Donald Trump this month ordered the closure of a loophole that allowed retailers to send clothes and goods from China and Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, to the United States without having to pay tariffs. After that change takes effect May 2, US Customs and Border agents will begin to collect previously exempted tariffs on shipments worth less than $800.

Hongkong Post said it would immediately stop accepting surface postal items containing goods to the United States, and would stop taking airmail packages starting April 27. It said the action was in response to Trump's tariffs on China, which are now 145%.

“The US is unreasonable, bullying and imposing tariffs abusively” the postal service said in a statement posted to the Hong Kong government's website.