Chinese packets

[SpacePhoenix]

The ones coming through now might well have left China a month ago

[Dannybuca]

My best one was a menstrual cup

I've had a couple of instances where they've been false teeth.

False teeth, from China? WTF

[Cluaran]

What good will gloves do? Should RM be supplying masks & more importantly goggles, this coronavirus is said to spread via the eyes?

I heard you can catch it by reading about it on the internet!!!

[PostmanBitesDog]

As expected, the coronavirus (COVID-19) is having an impact on the international distribution of parcels coming from China.

Associated Press: China's Virus Crisis Hits Global Flows of Letters, Parcels
https://apnews.com/1f86779f143a4d9aabad24833b35cdbc

Paris (Feb. 11, 2020) — Postal operators in the United States, China and elsewhere say the suspension of flights to slow the spread of a deadly new virus is having a major impact on global flows of letters and parcels.
In a note seen by The Associated Press, the U.S. Postal Service informed its counterparts around the world on Tuesday that it is “experiencing significant difficulties” in dispatching letters, parcels and express mail to China, including Hong Kong and Macau, “because most of its supplier airlines have suspended their flights" to those destinations.
The notes were shared with postal services around the world via the Universal Postal Union, a U.N. agency headquartered in Switzerland that is a main forum for postal cooperation between its 192 member countries.
In a statement to the AP, the UPU said that the suspension of flights because of the virus “is going to impact the delivery of mail for the foreseeable future.”

Oh, and by the way...

these packets are discounted as they are classed as coming from 3rd world countries

China is not a third world country.

[Mr Rush]

Oh, and by the way...

these packets are discounted as they are classed as coming from 3rd world countries

China is not a third world country.

Even if it wasn't for the outdated classification of China, the Chinese government still massively subsidises postage costs on exports. An entrepreneur with a 3D printer two towns over pumping out equivalent plastic junk couldn't compete on postage. Exotic fruits should be shipped half-way round the world, not false teeth.

[PostmanBitesDog]

Oh, and by the way...

these packets are discounted as they are classed as coming from 3rd world countries

China is not a third world country.

Even if it wasn't for the outdated classification of China

It was never a classification for China to begin with. The "Three World" term (attributed to French demographer, Alfred Sauvy, in 1952) was generally a political one rather than an economic one. It's only since the Cold War that the term "Third World" has been quoted - erroneously, by the way - in today's culture as referring to underdeveloped nations. During the Cold War, Third World countries, which were mostly former colonies, would gain their independence and then become aligned to either NATO member nations, the Eastern Bloc or be neutral. China was a member of the Eastern Bloc - a Second World construct of the geopolitical tension from 1947 to 1991.

[SpacePhoenix]

It's going to becrazy when the backlog eventually makes it to the UK

[Mr Rush]

It was never a classification for China to begin with. The "Three World" term (attributed to French demographer, Alfred Sauvy, in 1952) was generally a political one rather than an economic one. It's only since the Cold War that the term "Third World" has been quoted - erroneously, by the way - in today's culture as referring to underdeveloped nations. During the Cold War, Third World countries, which were mostly former colonies, would gain their independence and then become aligned to either NATO member nations, the Eastern Bloc or be neutral. China was a member of the Eastern Bloc - a Second World construct of the geopolitical tension from 1947 to 1991.

Eh, Sino-Soviet split... but I was referring to the classification of countries by the Universal Postal Union regards the massive imbalance of post exiting China versus entering it and who bears the cost of delivery (which does have its roots in the decolonisation process; hence it mainly relates to developing or, as known colloquially, 'third world' countries). My packet york isn't filled with packets from Gambia, so the classification of Gambia isn't under debate.

[PostmanBitesDog]

Ah, I see. Okay.

[twoloops]

No lorry/container drivers, no Chinese packets arriving.....

[SpacePhoenix]

No lorry/container drivers, no Chinese packets arriving.....

They'll just sent by train instead

[yellowbelly]

Seems to have been a massive reduction in these since the change in VAT rules, hardly see any now.

[A2B]

Seems to have been a massive reduction in these since the change in VAT rules, hardly see any now.

Add in the global increase in shipping costs and what little profit margin there was is gone

[SpacePhoenix]

Seems to have been a massive reduction in these since the change in VAT rules, hardly see any now.

Add in the global increase in shipping costs and what little profit margin there was is gone

There's loads of container ships and containers in the wrong places atm