The U.S. Postal Service said Tuesday it’s temporarily suspending all inbound packages from China and Hong Kong Posts.

The U.S. federal government-owned and operated postal service said in an alert on its website that the change is effective immediately and will remain in place "until further notice."

"Effective February 4, the Postal Service will temporarily suspend only international acceptance of inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong Posts until further notice," USPS said. 

Both China Post and Hong Kong Post are government-operated mail services.

It noted, however, that it will continue processing and accepting letters and large envelopes, often referred to as "flats," sent from mainland China and Hong Kong.

"Note the flow of letters and flats from China and Hong Kong will not be impacted," USPS added.

This development comes in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's recent executive orders imposing tariffs on imports from several countries, including China, Mexico, and Canada. While Trump announced a 30-day delay on the 25% tariffs for Canada and Mexico, the additional 10% tax on Chinese imports is still applicable.

One key aspect of the executive orders is the revocation of the "de minimis" trade provision, which previously allowed shipments valued at less than US$800 to enter the U.S. duty-free.

This provision has been a significant driver for Chinese e-commerce companies, such as Shein and Temu, to enter and expand in the US market.

Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection revealed that in 2024, over 1.3 billion de minimis shipments were processed.

Meanwhile, it remains unclear whether the suspension affects packages shipped from China and Hong Kong through private courier services.