Hongkong Post will suspend all mail containing goods destined for the United States in phases starting on Wednesday in response to the US government’s unreasonable decision to eliminate its duty-free treatment of and higher tariffs on Hong Kong postal items from May 2.

In a statement issued by Hongkong Post on Wednesday morning, the US move was condemned as bullying and an abusive trade measure that has forced the service provider to take necessary action to protect the interests of Hong Kong senders.  

READ MORE: US slammed for further imposition of tariffs on HK products

“Hongkong Post will not collect any unjust US tariffs and has decided to suspend services in phases,” the statement read.

The suspension of surface mail takes immediate effect from Wednesday due to longer shipping times. Customers who have already posted surface mail which contains goods and that has not yet been shipped will be contacted by Hongkong Post from April 22 to arrange for the items to be returned and the postage refunded.

For airmail, Hongkong Post’s acceptance of parcels containing goods will be suspended from April 27.

READ MORE: HKSAR govt slams US ‘reciprocal tariffs’ as ‘bullying, unreasonable’

The US announced a fresh round of tariffs on goods and small goods parcels from Hong Kong on April 8, including cancelation of the duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value postal items effective from May 2, subjecting goods valued at less than $800 to steep tariffs – either 90 percent of the shipments value or $75. This will be further increased to $150 after June 1 – a three-fold increase from the planned $50 slated for June 1.

Hongkong Post reminded the public that, due to these unfair US trade actions, sending goods to the US may now involve paying exorbitant and unreasonable fees, and only mail containing documents without goods remains unaffected.

A foreign resident, who chose not to be named, was caught in the crossfire of the US' cancellation of the duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value postal items from Hong Kong. Intending to send mail containing goods to the US, the man arrived at the General Post Office in Central only to be told that the service has been suspended.

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He said that the suspension is inconvenient for him, as he will have to switch from using Hongkong Post services to using private couriers like DHL for shipments to the US.

Another Hong Kong resident at the post office on Wednesday, surnamed Mak, expressed some concern over the suspension. He said he rarely sends parcels to the US but has previously mailed items such as clothes to friends there. However, he said, now that the government postal services are suspended, he will have to use other courier options when necessary. 

In response to the China Daily’s inquiry, DHL said it would continue to process inbound shipments to the US in accordance with the applicable customs rules and regulations.

“We will also continue to monitor the situation and to work with our customers to help them understand and adapt to the changes planned for May 2,” it added.

Adam Lam contributed to the story. 

Contact the writer at stacyshi@chinadailyhk.com