Hillary Clinton has been Secretary of State, and if she has an opinion on the nation’s foreign policy, the current administration must listen to it. Secretary Clinton has sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s controversial tariff policies. She warned that his administration’s latest trade plans would leave the United States isolated from the rest of the world.
On Tuesday, Clinton took to X and highlighted the growing number of countries that have paused or are pausing the mail delivered to the US. A delivery due to what she called Trump’s “tariff chaos.”
Among the nations that are halting shipments are Australia, France, Germany, India, Spain, and South Korea.
“Did anyone vote in 2024 to become the new Hermit Kingdom?” Clinton wrote. This is a historical phrase used to describe North Korea’s self-imposed isolation.
The term “Hermit Kingdom” defines a nation that cuts itself off from the outside world. This term has long been used for North Korea, which has strategically separated itself from the world. The country runs on the belief that Kim Jong Un is a godsend and whatever the officials say is true.
fun fact, “Hermit Kingdom” is an orientalist label used by the west for Korea that predates the creation of North Korea by decades. pic.twitter.com/Bp7DZugAuH
— Adam Johnson (@adamjohnsonCHI) April 24, 2017
Clinton herself used this term in 2009 when serving as Secretary of State under President Barack Obama. Her criticism this week is not taken lightly and carries extra weight. She is not new to the world of politics and has her share of understanding how many of these nations work and would react to the tariff imposed on them by Trump.
Trump has praised Kim several times for how he rules his country with an iron fist. In his recent remarks, he has expressed interest in meeting with the dictator again.
While the talks about the tariff imposed on the big and expensive packages were going on, Trump decided to scrap the “de minimis” exemption. The policy allowed low-value packages to enter the US without tariffs.
On April 2, President Trump cancelled what is known as “De Minimis”
A stock to watch is $PDD PDD holdings, owner of Temu, which largely benefited from this customs exemptionhttps://t.co/RfAdXB0bhDpic.twitter.com/X1P2lO2DZg
— Jordan Financial Blog (@jordanfinance) April 16, 2025
The exemption had streamlined international commerce. This was particularly useful for e-commerce, where there was less paperwork and shipping costs for the consumers were also low. The upper limit for these exempted low price packages was $800.
The abrupt cancellation of this policy has disrupted business for several shipping companies. It has also left major international shippers and companies scrambling.
DHL is Europe’s largest logistics company, and it has issued a statement. This statement says that the key details of this remain unclear.
“Key questions remain unresolved, particularly regarding how and by whom customs duties will be collected in the future, what additional data will be required, and how the data transmission to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will be carried out,” the company said.
DHL: German postal service to suspend transport of business parcels to US
DHL, which runs Germany’s postal service Deutsche Post, said it will suspend acceptance and transport of parcels and postal items containing goods from business customers destined for the United States… pic.twitter.com/4e87T1Yhkf
— Mike Alderson FRSA (@OpenEyeComms) August 22, 2025
There is no clear guidance from any department, and everything has gone haywire. Multiple postal systems have halted their deliveries to the US as no one wants to risk tariff requirements or have customers pay more than they signed for.
Companies outside the US are unwilling to absorb the extra cost, and inside the US, many companies and customers are still unaware of how tariffs work.
The move has also sparked frustration among businesses and individuals. Thousands of people are relying on international shipments. Some students live far away from their parents and families in another country and rely on the postal service to receive gifts and necessary items from home.
European, Asian postal services halt shipments to US after end of de minimis tariff exemption —
So how is Amazon going to handle this. I cancel orders that are going to take two weeks to deliver bc I assume they’re coming from China, but now everything is coming within a day…
— Sláinte….U.S. Go Bragh (@1stSvelteCelt) August 24, 2025
Many small businesses run because they collect small amounts of raw material for their finished products. All these people will suffer due to this rash decision.
Clinton also framed this situation as a diplomatic and reputational crisis. By comparing the US to North Korea, she suggested that Trump’s policies are undermining the nation’s global standing and isolating Americans from the international community.
