Ecommerce packages left out of U.S.-China tariff reprieve

An agreement between the United States and China to temporarily slash tariffs, announced on Monday, did not address what would happen to low-value ecommerce packages from China to the U.S. which are still subject to tariffs.

The U.S.-China trade agreement does not cover "de minimise" exemptions for e-commerce firms, a source briefed on the talks told Reuters on Monday.

On May 2, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump ended the de minimis policy allowing packages worth less than US$800 ordered online from China and Hong Kong to enter the United States duty free, imposing tariffs of 120 percent on such parcels.

It was not immediately clear whether those would remain in place after Monday's agreement.

(Reuters)