U.S. Threat to Withdraw From Postal Treaty Prompts Emergency Talks

[demmiblue]

Source: NYT

The Trump administration, angry over lower postal rates for China, may leave a longstanding international shipping agreement.

GENEVA — Emergency talks began on Tuesday as delegates from nearly 150 countries tried to prevent a massive disruption to international postal services that could occur if President Trump pulls America out of a United Nations body that has regulated mail services for more than a century.

The United States has threatened to leave the body, the Universal Postal Union, after Oct. 17 if its members don’t change the system of fees that postal services charge for collection and delivery of mail and small parcels.

Of particular concern to the Trump administration is the sliding scale of fees that allows China, the world’s second largest economy, to take advantage of lower rates that are available to developing countries. Those fees, which have been in place since 1969, were modified and partly raised in 2016, but the administration has argued the changes did not go far enough.

As a result, it remains cheaper for manufacturers in countries like China and Cambodia to send a small package to the United States than it is for American businesses to ship them from Los Angeles to New York, according to Peter Navarro, a trade adviser to Mr. Trump.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/25/business/universal-postal-union-withdraw.html

[Newest Reality]

1. Isn't it a drag...

Isn't it a drag these days when you read an article that refers to The United States doing something and you know it means Trump and his flock of handlers and Minions have decided something which usually creates a mess or catastrophe.

Geez.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Trump-appointed postal commissioners

rammed through some of the fattest postage increases ever last year. Some say to impact Amazon and Bezos. Priority Mail was up about 8-11%, First class up 5 cents - 10% - to mail a one ounce letter. This in an era of low fuel prices and without the prior years' excuse of pre-funding medical care for USPS workers for decades. Have you mailed a package retail pricing at a post office? Online epostage was up similarly.

This is a ripoff. ecommerce got whacked.

[Roy Rolling]

3. Such a great negotiator

Not.

His only tactic is walking away.

It’s the arithmetic of negotiating skills, any moron can do that. And Trump proves it over and over and over again.

[ripcord]

4. Unfortunatley this time Trump is right and the UN is wrong

There is no way the world's second largest economy should be receiving discounts meant for developing economies, it costs less for Chinese merchants to ship small packages to the US than it does to ship something originating in the US halfway across the country which is the reason China can ship so much cheap crap to the US.

[BlueMTexpat]

6. The only part really singled out is

that.

For that, you want to scrap a whole treaty?

[customerserviceguy]

8. You have to be willing to walk away from the table

to get the best deal. China is way more prosperous now than it was in 1969, surely this treaty should take into account changes that have happened over a half century.

[ripcord]

10. We have been trying to deal with this since the 80s

There is no way the US should be subsidizing China's economy and 25 years of negotiations haven't done any good.

[DBoon]

11. China should no longer be considered a developing country

nt

[BlueIdaho]

5. I hope America has learned one thing...

Chaos is not a very good governing principle.

[customerserviceguy]

7. Hmm, that explains things

I needed some parts for a toy drone that I have, and I found them on eBay from a Chinese source, for only $1.29 with shipping included. The parts probably cost only a few pennies to make apiece, so I was wondering how this seller could afford to ship them to me so cheaply.

China is not now where it was in 1969. In this case, the Trump administration has a point.

[Sapient Donkey]

13. Yeah, I remember looking up information on this awhile ago

when I was ordering a lot of cheap electronic components from Chinese sellers on ebay. I thought it was interesting how I could get a pack of capacitors for about a buck and either have free shipping or a very low shipping price.

But yeah, China really shouldn't be getting those discounts at this point.

[customerserviceguy]

15. There's all kinds of sweetheart deals out there on shipping

About a dozen years ago, I worked for a company that sold medical scopes (like for endoscopy, colonoscopy, etc.) and on occasion, I had to look up shipping information. The cost for UPS shipping was so low it staggered me, as I've gone to UPS to ship things just as heavy and bulky, and paid a lot more for it.

However, if UPS decided that it could give my company a deal and still make money on volume, that's their business decision. Sounds to me like ordinary mailers are subsidizing the cost of shipping things from China, and while that might have made sense fifty years ago, it surely doesn't now.

[SomewhereInTheMiddle]

12. I know I am being a stickler ...

The article says "... President Trump pulls America out of a United Nations body that has regulated mail services for more than a century."

I know I am being a stickler, but the UN has not existed for more than a century. I can understand that the Universal Postal Union may have preceded the UN by many years. But that is not what that sentence says.

I have a tendency to hold "our side" to higher standards than the "other guys". I would like to see accuracy and good editing from the NYT.

That is all.

[customerserviceguy]

16. Good pickup there. n/t

[Brainfodder]

14. He picks battles just to have a chance to get a "win"?

His version of GOING POSTAL?

Let's not play that game?

YIKES!