Temporary suspension of acceptance of mail to the United States

Scope of the Japan Post Suspension

• Japan Post will temporarily stop accepting parcels, small packets, and EMS goods to the US if:
  • They are commercial goods, or
  • Gifts valued over US$100.
• Letters, documents, printed matter, and gifts under US$100 still go through; an in-house courier (UGX) remains available.
• Similar suspensions or restrictions have been announced by postal operators in Finland, India, Switzerland, New Zealand, Thailand, Australia, the Netherlands, Austria, and others, plus DHL for postal-type products.
• Many operators say the issue isn’t tax level but the lack of a clear, workable US process for assessing and collecting duties on low‑value items.

De Minimis, New Tariffs, and US Policy

• The trigger is the abrupt end of the US “de minimis” exemption on imports, combined with broad new tariffs justified under “national security.”
• Commenters note customs systems are not ready: no clear way for postal operators or recipients to pay duties; rumors of large flat fees even for tiny items.
• Some see this as part of a pattern of rule-by-executive-order with “effective immediately” timelines, bypassing normal slow, consultative rulemaking.

Economic and Trade Debates

• One side: de minimis was a loophole enabling dropshipping from China/others, tariff evasion, and environmentally destructive ultra‑cheap imports (Temu/Shein, etc.). If tariffs exist, they argue, exemptions must be closed and ideally applied blanket‑wide to avoid “Penguin Island” routing games.
• Other side: de minimis is heavily used by individuals and small entrepreneurs; closing it is “baby with the bathwater,” killing micro‑businesses and access to niche items (e.g., Japanese sunscreen, specialty bike parts, vinyl, pottery).
• Long debate over incidence: many argue tariffs are effectively a regressive tax borne by consumers; others counter that, done right, tariffs can support domestic industry and wages, or at least tax consumption instead of income.
• Some frame tariffs as a tool to rebalance trade and reduce deindustrialization; others call current measures lazy, chaotic populism that won’t deliver serious industrial policy.

Governance, Democracy, and Institutions

• Multiple comments blame Congress for delegating tariff powers and failing to check the president; others note decades‑old statutes do explicitly empower the executive.
• Broader worries about “personalist” or proto‑authoritarian rule, erosion of checks and balances, and policy made for ego and optics rather than planning.
• Mail and voting emerge tangentially: people abroad worry about ballots, but others note elections are state‑run and mail of documents is still allowed.

Logistics, Standards, and Everyday Impact

• Postal operators fear massive volumes of refused parcels if duties can’t be collected; unlike the EU’s IOSS system, the US hasn’t provided a clear pre‑payment mechanism.
• Many expect higher shipping costs (e.g., standard post replaced by expensive express) and reduced availability of foreign goods.
• Some lament loss of “grey market” access to higher‑standard foreign products (sunscreen, modern helmet standards); others argue suppressing such workarounds is appropriate and regulatory reform is the real fix.