Tariffs As They Might Affect The US Market

Folks, let's avoid mentioning politicians and parties by name. Plenty of blame to go around. We all have our opinions (I certainly have mine), but would much rather discuss the policies and their impact on this board than have another locked thread. Personally I'm fine with the political back-and-forth, but the mods clearly see differently and they enforce the rules, not me.

Back to stamps: I worry about the impacts of these new tariffs (taxes by another name) on the hobby. Online commerce has been the only thing keeping the hobby going, and this is a shot across the bow at buying and selling anything that can't pass for a regular first-class letter.

Much of the hobby is low-margin and these new taxes will have a chilling effect on trade, not just in terms of the financial disincentive, but also because some postal authorities have suspended shipments due to uncertainty. Hopefully things become clearer and shipments resume, but it never comes back 100%.

This court decision may be a reason for worldwide postal authorities to postpone implementing anything: i.e., to refrain from accepting small parcels destined for the USA.

Not me.