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So if you're worried about packages coming from AliExpress, you probably shouldn't be. The last several packages I ordered were shipped USPS with an origin of

by bb88 2y ago

So if you're worried about packages coming from AliExpress, you probably shouldn't be. The last several packages I ordered were shipped USPS with an origin of the US. Los Angeles was the origin of the last one I received with AliExpress Choice(tm). It may affect ebay purchases of electronic parts from Shenzhen though. Particulary if the vendors use the Chinese post office. I also ordered a Keychron keyboard last weekend and it's being shipped from Shenzhen via DHL.

reaperman 2y ago
I'm worried more about the prototypes my R&D department is designing in partnership with Chinese contractors and fabrication facilities. We manufacture the final products here in the USA, but a LOT of components we air-mail from China. A huge percentage of the nation's R&D efforts (for DOMESTIC MANUFACTURING) is going to be completely and utterly fucked if they can't rush-deliver niche items from China. This is a disaster. And it's not just R&D! If you have a big factory here in the USA but you need a rare part/tool/electrical component to fix the factory - often the OEM you buy it from will ship it from their China warehouse and it'll arrive in 1-4 days. As a person who works in domestic manufacturing, this seems really, really bad for domestic manufacturing.
- bb88 2y ago
  I would say so, but there are options right? FedEx? DHL?
- seanmcdirmid 2y ago
  I doubt you were using USPS before for those, so your company shouldn’t be affected unless this affects private shipping companies as well.
  - soganess 2y ago
    Honest question, why? USPS is cheap. Is there something special about a stack of blank PCBs (or ICs, or caps, or whatever) that precludes USPS from shipping them? I know they are weird about batteries, but everything else, right?
    - seanmcdirmid 2y ago
      USPS is cheap! Much cheaper to send from China to the USA than the other way around d for some weird reason. But I’m guessing a business who was interested in air mailing parts and prototypes..isn’t interested in value.
      - BikiniPrince 2y ago
        It’s cheaper because USPS has been subsidizing the costs. That’s why a lot of small packages were shipped with usps.
        transcriptase 2y ago
        Also cheap because the entire world subsidizes China-to-elsewhere shipping via the UPU continuing to classify them a “developing country”.
        School-Cotton 2y ago
        Why would China not count as a developing country?
        throwaway290 2y ago
        https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3921082-house-unanimously-passes-bill-to-work-to-remove-chinas-developing-country-label/ https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3921082-house-unanimously... > “Their economy size is second only to that of the United States. [The] United States is treated as a developed country, so should PRC,” Kim said. “And is also treated as a high-income country in treaties and international organizations, so China should also be treated as a developed country.” And CCP also usually paints PRC superior to US in everything so it's kind of their choice too...
        School-Cotton 2y ago
        Which country is poorer: Luxembourg or Kenya? Luxembourg has a lower GDP, after all.
  - throwfgtpwd234 2y ago
    That's not the point. The point is the USPS is abusively discriminating against trade for political purposes.
sidewndr46 2y ago
That brings up a good point. Does this only pertain to USPS? So you can still get a package from China via DHL? If so, private couriers are about to go way up in their business
- bb88 2y ago
  Well if my DHL shipment from shenzhen gets blocked, I'll let you know. I'm guessing Aliexpress choice fills up entire shipping containers shipping them to contractors on the ports. Once inside the US it's simply a matter of relabeling packages with a USPS sticker. If Wal-Mart, e.g., can no longer import containers from China, well, Wal-mart would be fucked long faster than Aliexpress.
seanmcdirmid 2y ago
Didn’t a lot of Chinese drop shippers concentrate product in the US in anticipation of tariffs? If so, we might hit supply shortages as the stockpile winds down.
userbinator 2y ago
I don't remember seeing Ali ship directly from China either, and they were doing that long before this, I suspect due to cost reasons.
throwfgtpwd234 2y ago
It's effectively the same price as on Amazon but good luck ever returning that to China. https://amzn.com/dp/B0CSYB8RNC https://amzn.com/dp/B0CSYB8RNC
baby_souffle 2y ago
> So if you're worried about packages coming from AliExpress, you probably shouldn't be. The last several packages I ordered were shipped USPS with an origin of the US. Los Angeles was the origin of the last one I received with AliExpress Choice(tm). Look closer at that shipping label, you'll probably see another one underneath it that is the original one. Just after clearing customs, packages are moved to this consolidation warehouse which is where your "LA Origin" label comes from. If you initiate a return, it's likely that you'll also ship your item back to another LA location. It's the package/logistics equivalent of a reverse proxy or mux/de-mux step.

by bb88 2y ago

reaperman 2y ago

I'm worried more about the prototypes my R&D department is designing in partnership with Chinese contractors and fabrication facilities. We manufacture the final products here in the USA, but a LOT of components we air-mail from China. A huge percentage of the nation's R&D efforts (for DOMESTIC MANUFACTURING) is going to be completely and utterly fucked if they can't rush-deliver niche items from China. This is a disaster. And it's not just R&D! If you have a big factory here in the USA but you need a rare part/tool/electrical component to fix the factory - often the OEM you buy it from will ship it from their China warehouse and it'll arrive in 1-4 days. As a person who works in domestic manufacturing, this seems really, really bad for domestic manufacturing.

bb88 2y ago
I would say so, but there are options right? FedEx? DHL?
seanmcdirmid 2y ago
I doubt you were using USPS before for those, so your company shouldn’t be affected unless this affects private shipping companies as well.
- soganess 2y ago
  Honest question, why? USPS is cheap. Is there something special about a stack of blank PCBs (or ICs, or caps, or whatever) that precludes USPS from shipping them? I know they are weird about batteries, but everything else, right?
  - seanmcdirmid 2y ago
    USPS is cheap! Much cheaper to send from China to the USA than the other way around d for some weird reason. But I’m guessing a business who was interested in air mailing parts and prototypes..isn’t interested in value.
    - BikiniPrince 2y ago
      It’s cheaper because USPS has been subsidizing the costs. That’s why a lot of small packages were shipped with usps.
      - transcriptase 2y ago
        Also cheap because the entire world subsidizes China-to-elsewhere shipping via the UPU continuing to classify them a “developing country”.
        School-Cotton 2y ago
        Why would China not count as a developing country?
        throwaway290 2y ago
        https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3921082-house-unanimously-passes-bill-to-work-to-remove-chinas-developing-country-label/ https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3921082-house-unanimously... > “Their economy size is second only to that of the United States. [The] United States is treated as a developed country, so should PRC,” Kim said. “And is also treated as a high-income country in treaties and international organizations, so China should also be treated as a developed country.” And CCP also usually paints PRC superior to US in everything so it's kind of their choice too...
        School-Cotton 2y ago
        Which country is poorer: Luxembourg or Kenya? Luxembourg has a lower GDP, after all.
- throwfgtpwd234 2y ago
  That's not the point. The point is the USPS is abusively discriminating against trade for political purposes.

sidewndr46 2y ago

That brings up a good point. Does this only pertain to USPS? So you can still get a package from China via DHL? If so, private couriers are about to go way up in their business

bb88 2y ago
Well if my DHL shipment from shenzhen gets blocked, I'll let you know. I'm guessing Aliexpress choice fills up entire shipping containers shipping them to contractors on the ports. Once inside the US it's simply a matter of relabeling packages with a USPS sticker. If Wal-Mart, e.g., can no longer import containers from China, well, Wal-mart would be fucked long faster than Aliexpress.

seanmcdirmid 2y ago

Didn’t a lot of Chinese drop shippers concentrate product in the US in anticipation of tariffs? If so, we might hit supply shortages as the stockpile winds down.

userbinator 2y ago

I don't remember seeing Ali ship directly from China either, and they were doing that long before this, I suspect due to cost reasons.

throwfgtpwd234 2y ago

It's effectively the same price as on Amazon but good luck ever returning that to China. https://amzn.com/dp/B0CSYB8RNC https://amzn.com/dp/B0CSYB8RNC

baby_souffle 2y ago

> So if you're worried about packages coming from AliExpress, you probably shouldn't be. The last several packages I ordered were shipped USPS with an origin of the US. Los Angeles was the origin of the last one I received with AliExpress Choice(tm). Look closer at that shipping label, you'll probably see another one underneath it that is the original one. Just after clearing customs, packages are moved to this consolidation warehouse which is where your "LA Origin" label comes from. If you initiate a return, it's likely that you'll also ship your item back to another LA location. It's the package/logistics equivalent of a reverse proxy or mux/de-mux step.