As if there weren’t enough unknowns going on, there’s some news that, although short-lived, is something we should all pay attention to.

On February 4th, 2025, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) initially announced a suspension of accepting inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong, effective until further notice.

This decision was made following an executive order by President Donald Trump that ended the “de minimis” customs exemption, which previously allowed packages valued under $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free.

Even though this was reversed just one day later, the very idea of this illustrates the ever-changing dynamics of the challenges we are facing. One day you could be making money by importing your product from China, the next you could be losing your shirt doing exactly the same thing, and then... you may not even be able to get those goods into the country.

One thing we have learned about Trump is that, regardless of the law, he has a way of winning deals when he puts his mind to it. And the deal he has put his mind to is bringing manufacturing back to the US.

Regardless of its duration, this situation has a direct impact on the global supply chain. Businesses don’t like uncertainty, and the changes we are seeing cause a tremendous amount of uncertainty.

On the other hand, there is a silver lining in this. Choosing to do your manufacturing here in the US is a very straightforward and effective process.