Hong Kong Postal Service Halts Parcels To Us As Trump Levies Hi
BloombergAPR 17
Hong Kong Halts US Mail Service Over Tariff 'Bullying'
Above: Building of the General Post Office, the headquarters of Hongkong Post. Image copyright: Chen Xuming/Contributor/VCG via Getty Images
The Spin
Anti-Trump narrative
Trump's tariff increases are akin to blackmail—an abusive and unreasonable act of economic bullying that unfairly targets Hong Kong's trading practices and forces residents to pay exorbitant fees for basic postal services. Hongkong Post will not collect any so-called tariffs on behalf of the U.S. as they don't comply with international practices.
Pro-establishment narrative
The elimination of the de minimis exemption is necessary to close a loophole that Chinese retailers have exploited to avoid proper customs inspections and import taxes, protect American industries, and ensure fair trade practices. Additionally, the duty-free treatment is being ended in order to combat China's role in America's synthetic opioid crisis.