Hongkong Post Halts Goods Shipments To The United States

Why Hongkong Post Has Suspended Shipments to the US

In a major development that could impact businesses and individuals in Hong Kong, Hongkong Post has announced the suspension of all postal services involving goods destined for the United States. This suspension follows the US Government’s decision to eliminate duty-free de minimis treatment for goods shipped from Hong Kong and impose significantly higher tariffs starting May 2, 2025.

According to the Hongkong Post, the new US policy is “unreasonable,” “bullying,” and an “abusive imposition of tariffs.” As a result, Hongkong Post has refused to collect or handle any such tariffs on behalf of the US and will halt the acceptance of packages containing goods headed to the US.

Effective Dates for Suspension

The suspension affects both surface mail and air mail, with different start dates:

Surface Mail Suspension: Immediate effect from April 16, 2025

Air Mail Suspension: Starting from April 27, 2025

Surface Mail: What Happens to Already Posted Items?

Because surface mail involves a longer delivery time, Hongkong Post has suspended it immediately. If senders have already dispatched surface mail items that haven’t yet left for the US, Hongkong Post will arrange for the return of those items and offer postage refunds starting April 22, 2025.

Air Mail: A Few Days’ Grace Period

Unlike surface mail, the acceptance of air mail items containing goods will continue for a few more days but will stop from April 27, 2025. This gives senders a small window to make urgent shipments, but beyond this date, no air parcels containing goods will be accepted.

What’s Still Allowed?

It’s important to note that this suspension applies only to items containing goods. Postal shipments that contain documents only—with no commercial goods—will not be affected by this decision.

So, if you need to send letters, legal documents, contracts, or any other non-commodity postal items to the United States, those services will remain uninterrupted.

Why Is This Happening?

This drastic move stems from the US government’s plan to remove the de minimis threshold for Hong Kong exports, which previously allowed goods under a certain value to enter the US duty-free. Under the new policy effective May 2, tariffs will be imposed on nearly all incoming goods, regardless of their value.

This change could significantly increase shipping costs for individuals and businesses in Hong Kong. Hongkong Post stated it would not participate in what it called an “unreasonable” tariff collection system and chose instead to suspend goods-related shipments to the US altogether.

Impact on Businesses and Individuals

This move is expected to hit e-commerce sellers, small businesses, and exporters in Hong Kong hard, especially those who rely on Hongkong Post to fulfill orders to US-based customers.

Additionally, individual consumers who frequently send gifts, goods, or personal items to friends and family in the US will now have to look for alternative (and possibly more expensive) courier services.

The Hong Kong government has also warned the public to prepare for higher shipping costs and exorbitant fees if they choose to use private couriers that comply with the new US tariffs.

Customer Assistance and Contact

Hongkong Post has advised members of the public to contact their enquiry hotline at 2921 2222 for further assistance or clarification on how this suspension may affect their existing or future shipments.

Final Thoughts

The suspension of goods-based postal services from Hong Kong to the United States marks a serious escalation in trade and tariff tensions. While document-based mail remains unaffected, businesses and individuals will now have to navigate an uncertain and more expensive shipping landscape.

Stay tuned for further updates as the situation develops. For now, anyone planning to send items to the US from Hong Kong should take note of the April 16 (surface mail) and April 27 (air mail) cutoffs.