Beijing accused the US Postal Service (USPS) on Wednesday of “unreasonable suppression” after the USPS announced it was temporarily halting incoming packages from China and Hong Kong.
The directive comes after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed new 10 per cent tariffs on Chinese goods beginning Tuesday.
Beijing responded with fresh tariffs on a variety of US imports just minutes after they went into effect, raising concerns about a growing trade war between the two biggest economies in the world.
The USPS halt will continue “until further notice” after being announced over the weekend.

When questioned about the suspension during a routine news briefing on Wednesday, China’s foreign ministry stated, “We urge the United States to stop politicising trade and economic issues and using them as tools, and to stop the unreasonable suppression of Chinese companies, as a matter of principle.”
China would “continue to take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies,” spokesman Lin Jian underlined.
Additionally, a duty-free exception for low-value shipments was removed by the ruling.
The “de minimis” exemption exempts items worth $800 or less from incurring various taxes and customs when they enter the US.
However, it has come under fire due to a recent spike in shipments that claim the exemption.
Chinese-founded online stores Shein and Temu have grown significantly, according to US officials, and Tuesday’s stoppage may cause packages from both businesses to take longer to enter the nation.
Washington claims that the increase in shipping makes it more difficult to check products for security threats; therefore, it has been attempting to tighten the regulation.
The USPS, however, did not explain its Tuesday suspension.
It may also have an effect on other shops, including Amazon.
Packages could still be shipped from the special administrative region to the United States, a postal services employee at the Macau General Post Office told AFP on Wednesday.
“For now we are not affected, because the suspension only affects parcels from mainland China and Hong Kong,” he explained.