While commercial tensions with Mexico and Canada have eased, thanks to a month-long suspension of 25% tariffs announced by President Trump, relations between Washington and Beijing have grown increasingly strained. The conflict arose from the implementation of a 10% tariff increase on all Chinese goods, including those valued under 800 dollars, which were previously exempt under a de minimis measure now cancelled by executive order.
As previously announced, Beijing responded with a range of targeted measures. These include selective tariffs affecting coal and liquefied natural gas (at a 15% rate) and a 10% increase on petroleum, agricultural equipment, and certain vehicle models. Chinese authorities have also launched an investigation against Google, accusing the company of monopoly violations, and are considering a similar probe into Apple regarding app commissions.
On 5 February 2025, another move in this commercial battle emerged from the United States: the federal postal service Usps suspended distribution of all packages from China, including Hong Kong, effectively blocking e-commerce conducted directly by Chinese companies like Temu and Shein. A potential reason could be the suspension of the de minimis threshold for shipments under 800 dollars, which requires the postal service to inspect an estimated daily flow of approximately four million packages.
The US Customs and Border Protection agency reported that approximately 1.4 billion packages entered the United States in 2024 under the de minimis regime, double the number from 2022, with Temu and Shein contributing significantly to this surge. However, some US analysts consider the Usps measure largely symbolic, as most deliveries are handled by other companies. In 2017, the postal service managed 600 million incoming packages, a number that decreased to 200 million in 2022, according to Government Accountability Office data.
