BEIJING, Feb 5: Beijing accused the United States Wednesday of "suppression" after its postal service said it was suspending parcels from China and Hong Kong, a move that could hit e-commerce giants Temu and Shein.
Tensions between the US and China have soared in recent days as the world's two largest economies slapped a volley of tariffs on each others' imports, hitting hundreds of billions of dollars in trade.
On Tuesday, the US Postal Service (USPS) also scrapped a duty-free exemption for low-value packages.
The "de minimis" exemption allows goods valued at $800 or below to enter the United States without paying duties or certain taxes, but it has faced scrutiny due to a surge in shipments in recent years.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was not in a hurry to speak with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, despite expectations that they would hold talks after announcing tit-for-tat tariffs in a growing trade conflict.
Beijing said it was imposing levies on imports of US energy, vehicles and equipment in a return salvo minutes after Trump's threatened tariffs on Chinese goods came into effect Tuesday.
A day prior, Trump suspended duties on Mexico and Canada for a month after both countries vowed to step up measures to counter flows of the drug fentanyl and the crossing of undocumented migrants into the United States.
Trump had signaled earlier that the talks with Xi could take place early this week, but addressing reporters at the White House Tuesday afternoon, he said he was in "no rush" to talk to Xi.
US stock markets shrugged off weakness on Tuesday, but Chinese stocks saw volatility after markets opened Wednesday as the US Postal Service said it was suspending inbound package shipments from China and Hong Kong "until further notice." �AFP
