Hong Kong postal service halts U.S. parcels over tariff ‘bullying'

Hong Kong will stop official postal services for goods to the U.S., as the city follows Beijing in hitting back at U.S. President Donald Trump in a trade war that is increasingly sweeping up the Asian financial hub.

Hongkong Post will suspend the acceptance of surface postal items containing goods destined to the U.S. from Wednesday, and air postal items from April 27, the Hong Kong government said in a statement. Postal items containing only documents will not be affected.

"The U.S. is unreasonable, bullying and imposing tariffs abusively,” the statement read. "Hongkong Post will definitely not collect any so-called tariffs on behalf of the U.S.”

The move comes as Trump’s tariff offensive on China increasingly affects the former British colony, which typically enjoys favorable treatment in trade matters due to its semiautonomous status. Hong Kong leader John Lee has sharply criticized the U.S. measures, accusing Washington of "wanton suppression” of the city and the country in a speech on Tuesday.

The U.S. government announced earlier that it would eliminate the duty-free de minimis treatment for postal items dispatched from China, including Hong Kong, starting May 2. The action will close a loophole for items worth less than $800 and deals a potential blow to discount marketplaces like Temu and Shein.

Hong Kong is caught in the crossfire of Trump’s tariff policies. Though the city operates as a free port and doesn’t impose import duties, locally made goods aren’t spared U.S. import duties this time, unlike during Trump’s first term.

China’s top official on Hong Kong affairs also lashed out at Trump on Tuesday, saying his tariff war is less about money and more about attacking the well-being of Chinese people.

"The U.S. isn’t after our tariffs — it is after our very survival,” said Xia Baolong, who heads the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office. "Anyone who tries to bring us back to poverty and weakness is our enemy.”

Trump has pushed ahead with levies on Chinese goods, even as he signaled readiness for talks that could reduce or eliminate drastic tariffs that apply to most items entering the U.S. Beijing has said it will not come to the negotiating table if Washington doesn’t show respect.