Small Packets from China to Get More Expensive

Small packages from China (and elsewhere) delivered to shoppers by the US Postal Service will become more costly for overseas sellers, helping to level a playing field that many domestic online sellers feel is skewed against them.

At first blush, it looks like small US sellers will be rejoicing, since in many cases it costs them more to send a similarly sized parcel to a US buyer than it costs a Chinese seller/shipper – for packages weighing under 4.4 pounds.

It could have a negative impact on eBay and Amazon, however, whose platforms are attractive to international exporters sending goods to the US; though keep in mind that eBay CEO Devin Wenig said in November that his company helps Chinese sellers warehouse goods in the United States.

The change came not from the international organization that sets “terminal dues” (the UPU), but rather, from the US Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC).