Seoul:<Text>
The national postal service announced plans to introduce an affordable Express Mail Service (EMS) in response to changes in U.S. tariff policies, aiming to facilitate parcel shipments to the United States under a new tariff system.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Korea Post revealed it will cease accepting non-document packages destined for the U.S. starting Monday, following Washington's decision to suspend a duty-free policy for international shipments. The U.S. government plans to terminate the de minimis exemption, which previously allowed low-cost parcels valued at $800 or less to be shipped tariff-free. Starting next Friday, all international shipments will incur a 15 percent tariff.
While customers can still send packages to the U.S. using the premium EMS service provided by United Parcel Service (UPS) Inc., which applies tariffs to the recipient, Korea Post intends to offer a similar service at a reduced price within two months. The post al agency stated, "In order to ease customers' burden, we are preparing to launch a premium EMS with a lower price compared to the existing one in cooperation with UPS."
Korea Post also emphasized its commitment to closely monitoring the new U.S. directives and global postal network trends to ensure a smooth transition for its customers.