Suspension of inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong • Hacker News Board

Re: Suspension of inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong

#51

Post by queuebert » Wed, Feb 05, 2025, 2:29 AM UTC

addicted wrote: post #44

999900000999 wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cheaper and better. This country is so painfully stupid. Now I have to pay 2x as much for inferior products, if not the same exact stuff imported by an American company. This alone is probably going to cost me about 1000$ to 2000$ per year. We literally don't make much most of this stuff in the US. For example I just ordered a guitar bag, 15$ direct from China. The same exact bag, made in the same exact factory is go…

> We literally don't make much most of this stuff in the US Not said often enough is that we DONT WANT to make much of this stuff in the US. People seriously don’t get how remarkable it is that the U.S. is able to get other countries to send them actual usable stuff in return for pieces of paper that the U.S. prints. And how much richer this makes Americans. I don’t believe the U.S. should be fully free market. Clear…

The new problem is the factories making a lot of this stuff are heavily polluting, and we have little to no control over that because they are abroad. Part of a good climate strategy must involve regulating them somehow.

Re: Suspension of inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong

#52

Post by queuebert » Wed, Feb 05, 2025, 2:30 AM UTC

nyjah wrote: post #47

999900000999 wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cheaper and better. This country is so painfully stupid. Now I have to pay 2x as much for inferior products, if not the same exact stuff imported by an American company. This alone is probably going to cost me about 1000$ to 2000$ per year. We literally don't make much most of this stuff in the US. For example I just ordered a guitar bag, 15$ direct from China. The same exact bag, made in the same exact factory is go…

The other issue is American quality has gone down the tank. 10-15 years ago I’d look for American quality over Chinese, but nowadays I prefer the Chinese manufacturer almost 100% of the time. Not always the case but anecdotally chinas quality has gotten better while American stuff has gotten worse.

We must buy different things.

Re: Suspension of inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong

#53

Post by Sperfunctor » Wed, Feb 05, 2025, 2:30 AM UTC

drivingmenuts wrote: post #30

Oh, look! We've cut off shipments from China! Now you'll have to buy American. News flash: we can't afford to buy American. Why do you think we were shopping there. It's too late to fix it now - we no longer have the money or the ability to make the money to buy American and even if you gave more money to Americans, prices would just increase accordingly. Also, some of those products were paid for already. Someone ow…

[flagged]

Re: Suspension of inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong

#54

Post by sky_rw » Wed, Feb 05, 2025, 2:30 AM UTC

Saris wrote: post #37

HideousKojima wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The stated purpose of the tariffs is to stop the flow of fentanyl into the US (which kills over 70k Americans a year). If the economic hurt this causes to China is enough to drastically reduce the flow of fentanyl into the US then I suppose it will have accomplished its mission

This is a genuine question because I don't know, how do tariffs stop illegal drugs from coming in?

Ok I'll bite. The de minimus rule allows any import valued under $800 to enter the USA duty free. Chinese drop shipping companies and others leverage this rule to ship millions of packages direct to consumer. Many Chinese companies split a large freight shipments into dozens of smaller shipments to avoid paying duty fees.

My understanding is, trade war stuff aside, the effect this has on customs is to overwhelm their intake facilities with small packages, thus allowing shipments of narcotics and illicit goods to make it through without much chance of getting caught. The idea is that removing this rule will force shippers to bulk ship freight and allow customs to better inspect smaller shipments.

Re: Suspension of inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong

#55

Post by lazyasciiart » Wed, Feb 05, 2025, 2:30 AM UTC

0xbadcafebee wrote: post #32

It's like the right is doing everything they can to make the country be pissed off at them. Do they understand we still have the power to vote?

They’re hoping to fix that before it comes up again.

Re: Suspension of inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong

#56

Post by lazyasciiart » Wed, Feb 05, 2025, 2:32 AM UTC

warmlander99 wrote: post #45

abrookewood wrote: post #7

Any idea why?? Presumably the tariff/trade debate?

Might it be to cut down on fentinal shipments? China is where most of it comes from, not that you would know that if you listen to Trump go on about Canada.

No. The ingredients ship from China and India to Mexico, then the finished product comes over the border. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg93nn1e6go

Re: Suspension of inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong

#57

Post by TylerE » Wed, Feb 05, 2025, 2:32 AM UTC

queuebert wrote: post #52

nyjah wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The other issue is American quality has gone down the tank. 10-15 years ago I’d look for American quality over Chinese, but nowadays I prefer the Chinese manufacturer almost 100% of the time. Not always the case but anecdotally chinas quality has gotten better while American stuff has gotten worse.

We must buy different things.

I will absolutely concur with American products getting far worse. Everything is cost cut to the bone.

Re: Suspension of inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong

#58

Post by catlikesshrimp » Wed, Feb 05, 2025, 2:33 AM UTC

0xbadcafebee wrote: post #32

It's like the right is doing everything they can to make the country be pissed off at them. Do they understand we still have the power to vote?

In four years.

People have short memory.

Feasible.

Re: Suspension of inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong

#59

Post by HideousKojima » Wed, Feb 05, 2025, 2:33 AM UTC

Saris wrote: post #37

HideousKojima wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The stated purpose of the tariffs is to stop the flow of fentanyl into the US (which kills over 70k Americans a year). If the economic hurt this causes to China is enough to drastically reduce the flow of fentanyl into the US then I suppose it will have accomplished its mission

This is a genuine question because I don't know, how do tariffs stop illegal drugs from coming in?

By conditioning the lifting of the tariffs on China stopping the fentanyl, it's really not that complicated

Re: Suspension of inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong

#60

Post by ceejayoz » Wed, Feb 05, 2025, 2:33 AM UTC

xnx wrote: post #21

Bad for consumers, but seems like a very good thing for AMZN? Amazon won't have to compete against the much cheaper Temu, Aliexpress, Shein(?) etc.

Probably 80% of the listings on Amazon I see come from Chinese resellers drop shipping off AliExpress.

Reverse image search usually finds the original.