Americans vs Chinese sellers USPS vs China Post

[metal2ufast]

Ebay/USPS how is it China can mail me a flashlight for $1 (with free shipping) halfway across the world & my mailman delivers it straight to my door step, but if I wanna mail the same flashlight 2 blocks away it cost me $3.50 ($2.66 ebay discount) just to ship without the cost of the product? How does our own government give reduced rates to a foreign business, but charges us a premium? Seems very backwards

https://www.forbes.com/sites/wadeshepard/2017/11/05/how-the-usps-epacket-gives-postal-subsidies-to-c...

[slippinjimmy]

Because international postal rates for first class mail (under 2kg / 4lbs) are for the most part controlled by the Universal Postal Union, a group of about 190 national postal services.

The USA is a member and has been since the inception of the UPU in the late 1800's.

Rates offered by China Post ARE rising but slowly, the UPU moves like molasses.

A $1 with free shipping flashlight probably costs just pennies to make and for the Chinese sellers are really loss leaders given away for customer acquisition purposes.

[dhbookds]

To add to Jimmy's explanation..........  I believe I read that the administration has given notice they are pulling out of the agreement........  presumably to put pressure on the International Organization to negotiate more fair rates, since their request to renegotiate went no where.....    Whether it will work or not, of if the US will actually pull out is unknown yet. 

[forgottenape]

they are not pulling out but the postal regulatory commission is letting the usps raise rates on the 1st class packages making them competitive class

https://www.ecommercebytes.com/C/blog/blog.pl?/pl/2019/1/1547085738.html

[metal2ufast]

Looks like trump is trying to take care of this **bleep**...

https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/17/business/postal-treaty-withdrawal/index.html?fbclid=IwAR1FHqpqnZJOdWm...