Compromise Keeps US in Universal Postal Union (US can Reset China's Postage Rates)

Voice of America ^ | 25 Sep 2019 | Lisa Schlein

[BeauBo]

The Universal Postal Union has reached a compromise agreement on mailing rates that has averted a threatened walkout by the United States, which could have caused a major disruption to the global postal system.

The United States declared victory in the UPU’s “Extraordinary Congress,” saying it got what it wanted. The head of the U.S. delegation, Peter Navarro, said member countries unanimously approved the adoption of a comprehensive set of reforms based on the U.S. proposal.

Navarro, who is the director of trade and manufacturing policy at the White House, said the measure lets the United States immediately self-declare its postal rates, thereby covering the costs of bulky letters and small parcels sent from abroad. Navarro called this a big deal.

"The U.S. got immediate self-declared rates that saves us a half a billion dollars,” he said. “It eliminates market distortions. It creates tens of thousands of jobs for America. It also helps our friends and allies, and other nations — Norway, Finland, Brazil — who are getting hammered by this situation. It allows them in a multispeed option to get to that path."

UPU Secretary-General Bishar Hussein said the deal would not kick in until July 1, 2020, for the U.S., when the American self-declared rates will go into effect. For other member states, he said, the new postal rate system will begin in January 2021.

Once a country declares its rates, he said, the exporting country will have to factor in that cost. This, he said, means that cost will be transferred to the person who is mailing that item.

[BeauBo]

US taxpayers will soon no longer have to subsidize communist Chinese manufacturers, while driving our own Postal system into bankruptcy.

More Winning!

[glorgau]

Yeah, this kicks the can down the road for another 10 months.

How about declaring new rates tomorrow?

But, better late than never.

[Freee-dame]

More winning indeed! It was crazy that it was much cheaper for a manufacturer in China to ship a small package from China to a customer in the USA than it cost to ship the same item from state to state. These items, even if damaged or simply wrong, were almost never returned to China since the postage from the USA to China was many times more costly.

Trump cares about ordinary Americans. The ruling class does not.

[Salman]

Sounds like we have a president who knows how to negotiate.

[House Atreides]

Yeah, this kicks the can down the road for another 10 months.

How about declaring new rates tomorrow?
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I guess you don’t get Trump’s methodical, step-by-step, continuous, never ending approach to getting VERY GOOD things done... with absolutely no help from Congress with the DemocRATS blocking everything (and the despicable Ryan non-support in the preceding two years).

Trump is RELENTLESS ... trust him and support him.

[Stevenfo]

I wondered how Ebay stuff could be shipped so cheaply from China and Hong Kong. We subsidize it. The USA has been the world’s Sugar Daddy since WWII. Trump trying to change that. No other politician, and mean no one, will tackle these difficult things. They have just been kicked down the road for years - immigration, defense, trade, etc.

[glorgau]

> I guess you don’t get Trump’s methodical, step-by-step, continuous, never ending approach

Thanks for calling me an idiot. Yeah I get it. Just frustrated at how long this takes. If you get that.

[poconopundit]

I guarantee that no GOPe or Dem president would even think of closing this fraud loophole helping the Chinese.

Are there any Republican Senators praising Trump for his work putting a check on China? I think the Farm Belt Senators are with him. But what about the more well-known Senators?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but they are mostly silent. They recognize China as a security threat, but not an economic threat.

China will be a great litmus test on what candidate we should vote for in 2024.

[Spktyr]

You honestly expect the USPS to be able to react to anything in a day? Mid-2020 is possibly too soon as well but they can’t complain about a date that far out.

[max americana]

That’s how some of our employees bought those expensive Swiss Gear backpacks for a fraction of the price. They’re ALL from Hong Kong and China.

Yeah, I know MOST buyers go by price.

[glorgau]

> You honestly expect the USPS to be able to react to anything in a day?

Unhhh, this has been en train for months already. Nice that much of the rest of the world is going along.

[Spktyr]

Yup, but USPS won’t move on anything until it is finalized. In fact, they refuse to.

Aside from the sloth of USPS and to be fair to them regarding the time frame, they are legally bound to have delays between time of rate posting and when rates go into effect.

[House Atreides]

Thanks for calling me an idiot. Yeah I get it. Just frustrated at how long this takes. If you get that.
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My apologies, that wasn’t my intent. I do get the frustration of how long things take. I get frustrated also but, when that occurs, I try to remember that Trump is getting minimal help ... and much opposition, resistance and and sabotage.

My current frustration is with Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell in how slow they are moving Trump’s Judicial Nominees compared to how fast they could move them... if only they had Trump’s desire to do MAXIMUM good for our nation and our people.