from Hacker News

Suspension of inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong

by DannyPage on 2/5/25, 1:43 AM with 560 comments

  • by reaperman on 2/5/25, 3:01 AM

    This is going to utterly fuck so many R&D projects at my company. We actually do large-scale manufacturing of industrial valves in the USA. But a lot of our prototyping involves working with Chinese suppliers and getting small batches of samples / prototypes / revisions sent in packages on airplanes.

    I literally do not know how the electrical and firmware engineers will do their jobs now if we cannot receive packages from China. It's going to halt all our R&D for at least 6 months while we onboard domestic contractor alternatives --- which will also just generally be shit. Not to mention the American contractors WONT BE ABLE TO SHIP IN THE FUCKING ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS FROM CHINA THEY NEED FOR THE PROTOTYPES.

    Every single R&D department in the USA just got fuuuuuuuuucked by this.

  • by dmd on 2/5/25, 1:47 PM

  • by ggm on 2/5/25, 5:19 AM

    Anyone got a non-intuited, horses-mouth reason why? I suspect (ie, intuit) that its actually an attack on the USPS, not on China. The party of government doesn't like the post office, and this is to teach us not to like the post office either.

    I guess if they stopped using electric cars, they might like the post office again.

  • by bbarnett on 2/5/25, 8:24 AM

    Unless I've missed a thread, no one seems to be saying what counts.

    Changing duties, taxes, and rules is fine. It's how a society adjusts. Changing them instantly is literally the most anti-consumer, anti-business concept ever.

    No 30 days? 90 days? Nope, block it all now! That's sheer stupid on a caliber almost unheard of. It sends a signal "Don't do business with the US, the rules change on a whim". Don't do business IN the US, the same!

    Set up a company anywhere else, any other nation, else you'll wake up tomorrow and your entire business model is invalidated, without even a day to adjust.

    This is how children behave. How over emotional, non-rational people behave.

    Unfortunate.

    I personally support this, but not immediately. Nutty.

  • by markus_zhang on 2/5/25, 12:44 PM

    I sincerely hope US and Canada can regrow some manufacturing capacity. I think the only way to do it is by a one-two punch, and middle class like me are going to seriously get hurt, but I still want it done, for the sake of later generations and for a better, safer, more competitive humanity. Safer because a successful reform removes the need of a world war.

    The one-two punch is:

    1) A massive devaluation of housing, stocks and other similar items. The reason for this is we need to introduce local, more affordable merchandises, which can only be brought by cheaper lands, cheaper labor -- but no one is going to work $6 an hour (about 45 Yuan per hour, more or less on par with the better paid Chinese manufacturers I think) unless, unless housing and renting costs a fraction, like, 20%. That's why I said we are going to get seriously hurt. This is basically a wealth transfer from the richer to the poorer.

    2) Educate a whole generation that labor is honorable, so that engineers, scientists, technicians and such get more respect (I mean real respect, not the superficial one nowadays) than lawyers and bankers. It's a social change that takes at least one generation, perhaps two. Maybe I didn't put it right, but by saying getting more respect I'm basically saying getting an equal pay and equal say.

    But I'm seeing is that US is taking another darker road.

  • by Animats on 2/5/25, 7:56 AM

    You can still ship stuff from China to the US via FedEx, UPS, or DHL. You just have to do all the standard customs clearance data entry and pay.[1]

    [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/04/business/china-us-usps-de...

  • by ndom91 on 2/5/25, 12:52 PM

    Looks like they've flip flopped already:

    > Effective February 5, 2025, the Postal Service will continue accepting all international inbound mail and packages from China and Hong Kong Posts. The USPS and Customs and Border Protection are working closely together to implement an efficient collection mechanism for the new China tariffs to ensure the least disruption to package delivery.

  • by bb88 on 2/5/25, 2:23 AM

    So if you're worried about packages coming from AliExpress, you probably shouldn't be. The last several packages I ordered were shipped USPS with an origin of the US. Los Angeles was the origin of the last one I received with AliExpress Choice(tm).

    It may affect ebay purchases of electronic parts from Shenzhen though. Particulary if the vendors use the Chinese post office.

    I also ordered a Keychron keyboard last weekend and it's being shipped from Shenzhen via DHL.

  • by tkems on 2/5/25, 1:54 AM

    I can confirm that Aliexpress doesn't allow me to checkout with a USA address and states that items can't be shipped to my region. -edit: Since this post it seems that I can order items again? Very odd.

  • by xnx on 2/5/25, 2:10 AM

    Bad for consumers, but seems like a very good thing for AMZN?

    Amazon won't have to compete against the much cheaper Temu, Aliexpress, Shein(?) etc.

  • by nico on 2/5/25, 3:36 AM

    The speed at which all of this is happening is astounding

    Is this all improvised or was there a big list of stuff to do ahead of time?

    If the latter, does anyone have a copy of that list?

    Alternatively, is anyone keeping track of what's already been done so far?

  • by Scoundreller on 2/5/25, 1:48 AM

    How’s it work in the US these days with AliExpress (and I guess Temu) last-mile delivery?

    In Toronto, most of those items are coming to me by private courier (and this pre-dates the Canada Post strike).

  • by The_suffocated on 2/5/25, 1:36 AM

    The linked page is about a different notice. The correct webpage (that the linked page has linked to) is https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international...

    By the way, can anybody explain what's the significance about this submission?

  • by casenmgreen on 2/5/25, 7:06 AM

    1. Current administration are wholly unfit for purpose; they have no clue about running a Government.

    2. A dictator is now in place, with a subverted democratic system underneath (by subverted I mean deceived - enough people have bought into the lies that elections are now democratic in appearance only).

    3. The judicial system is now in the way.

    4. The judicial system is now going to be attacked.

  • by hpone91 on 2/5/25, 4:58 AM

    Looks like everything will be hit by the MPF

    What is a Merchandise Processing Fee? The Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) is a user fee that the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) charges. It is charged in addition to US Customs duty as an ad valorem tax at a rate of .03464%. It is calculated as a percentage of the value of the shipments shown on the invoice, also known as the Customs appraisement. This user fee carries a minimum and maximum amount depending on the entered value of the shipment. MPF is required on informal (goods valued $2,500.00 USD or less) and formal (goods valued over $2,500.00 USD) entries into the US.

    Informal MPF Rates Rate: $2.53 USD

    Formal MPF Rates Minimum: $32.71 USD Maximum: $634.62 USD (And under Trump's decree, all mail from China must be labeled as formal goods now, so minimum $32.71 fee applies)

    https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-02293.pdf

  • by anomie31 on 2/5/25, 4:33 AM

    Could an expert mention if this violates the Universal Postal Convention?

  • by nkurz on 2/5/25, 8:01 PM

    The suspension has already been suspended. Packages are again being accepted for delivery:

    "Effective February 5, 2025, the Postal Service will continue accepting all international inbound mail and packages from China and Hong Kong Posts. The USPS and Customs and Border Protection are working closely together to implement an efficient collection mechanism for the new China tariffs to ensure the least disruption to package delivery."

    https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international...

  • by anigbrowl on 2/5/25, 3:50 AM

    Guess my little stash of ESP32 devices just doubled in value.

  • by drivingmenuts on 2/5/25, 2:19 AM

    Oh, look! We've cut off shipments from China! Now you'll have to buy American.

    News flash: we can't afford to buy American. Why do you think we were shopping there. It's too late to fix it now - we no longer have the money or the ability to make the money to buy American and even if you gave more money to Americans, prices would just increase accordingly.

    Also, some of those products were paid for already. Someone owes the purchasers reimbursement for their loss.

  • by jschveibinz on 2/5/25, 5:47 AM

    Fentanyl is the likely reason behind this order:

    https://docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/GO24/20230517/115956/HHRG...

    USPS is the preferred carrier for illicit drug distribution.

  • by persedes on 2/5/25, 2:39 AM

    I'm unclear on this, but to my understanding if I order of Temu, Aliexpress etc I forfeit any consumer rights that I might have in the country I reside in? E.g. if the cheap stuff burns down my house / takes out my eye [1], there's no one to blame about gross defects / QC oversight?

    [1] https://www.geekwire.com/2019/lawsuit-ruling-dog-leash-purch...

  • by ChrisArchitect on 2/5/25, 4:49 PM

    Updated Feb 5, 2025:

    > Effective February 5, 2025, the Postal Service will continue accepting all international inbound mail and packages from China and Hong Kong Posts.

  • by sidewndr46 on 2/5/25, 1:47 PM

    This appears to be the end of my hobbies as there are just so many small parts I can't possibly get in the US but are available for $6 on AliExpress

  • by dbetteridge on 2/5/25, 2:39 PM

    > Effective February 5, 2025, the Postal Service will continue accepting all international inbound mail and packages from China and Hong Kong Posts. The USPS and Customs and Border Protection are working closely together to implement an efficient collection mechanism for the new China tariffs to ensure the least disruption to package delivery.

    Looks like its changed since posting

  • by sam345 on 2/6/25, 12:22 PM

    That didn't last long they did say it was temporary. https://www.wsj.com/business/logistics/u-s-postal-service-su...

  • by qwertox on 2/5/25, 9:24 AM

    EU should do the same. They're essentially performing a Bureaucratic Denial-of-Service attack on customs and tax authorities.

  • by keuoa_ on 2/5/25, 4:51 PM

    I had several small packages in transit from china, now that the CBP considers ALL packages from China "formal" I have to pay $32.71 PER PACKAGE. I'm freaking screwed, I can't really afford to drop several hundred dollars just on bullshit fees

  • by abrookewood on 2/5/25, 1:50 AM

    Any idea why?? Presumably the tariff/trade debate?

  • by steveBK123 on 2/5/25, 12:08 PM

    I am paying less attention to minor day to day news drama during the orange mans second reign, but even then it feels more chaotic this time.

  • by tempeler on 2/5/25, 8:12 AM

    I know this movie very well from somewhere, but the ending is both unhappy and bad. But you are lucky, it does not last longer than 4 years.

  • by fsagx on 2/6/25, 3:00 AM

    I have a jclpcb job that finished today :o

    2025-02-06 01:52:00 Shipment information received,ZHUJIANG DELTA AREA - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC

  • by stronglikedan on 2/5/25, 3:58 PM

    It's good that people are making dumb decisions like this, presumably out of spite. Makes it easy to know who to fire.

  • by thesaintlives on 2/5/25, 7:32 AM

    Maybe he is going to take a hard look at why this service is subsidised bu the US tax payer...

  • by dahdum on 2/5/25, 1:48 AM

    Wouldn’t this be due to the Lunar New Year, a massive holiday that shuts down wide swaths of the country? UPS has a bunch of Asia delays right now too.

    https://www.ups.com/cn/en/service-alerts.page

  • by gorbachev on 2/5/25, 1:57 PM

    And now they reversed it:

    https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/04/business/usps-china-de-mi...

    What a flustercuck.

  • by gigel82 on 2/5/25, 1:41 AM

    There goes AliExpress...

  • by davesque on 2/5/25, 5:33 AM

    Does anyone know why this is happening? A result of some initiative by the Trump administration probably?

  • by alistairSH on 2/5/25, 1:34 PM

    And they've already walked that back... https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international...

    What a dumpster fire. Hard to believe ~half the electorate thought electing Trump, Musk, and army brocoll-topped tech-bros was a good idea.

  • by caspper69 on 2/5/25, 3:51 AM

    The parade of stupid continues unabated.

  • by throwfgtpwd234 on 2/5/25, 8:21 AM

    This is complete crap. There was no warning given. And isn't this illegal?

  • by Ginger-Pickles on 2/5/25, 2:41 AM

  • by antigeox on 2/5/25, 4:59 AM

    Fully support this move. America needs to build.

  • by NetOpWibby on 2/5/25, 5:23 AM

    This is a terrible time to be working for a hardware startup

    JFC

  • by jmclnx on 2/5/25, 2:02 AM

    Well the page is gone

  • by 0xbadcafebee on 2/5/25, 2:19 AM

    It's like the right is doing everything they can to make the country be pissed off at them. Do they understand we still have the power to vote?

  • by blackeyeblitzar on 2/5/25, 7:15 AM

    Good. I'm glad to see moves that reduce market access for China, given there is little reciprocity. It's also worth hurting the Chinese economy for numerous other geopolitical reasons, including that the American economy can absorb disruptions like this a lot more easily at this time.