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Postal services around the world have announced suspension of shipment of low-value package shipments to the United States
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They cited ambiguity about what kind of goods are covered by the new rules, and the short timeframe to adapt to the new requirements
Postal services around the world have paused the shipment of certain packages to the United States citing ambiguity over a new US import ruling and the short timeframe to adapt to the new requirements.
Starting August 29, the US will suspend the worldwide de minimis exemption for global shipments below $800. A 15% tariff on majority of products shipped from the European Union will be implemented, based on a trade framework agreed on by the US and the EU in July.
Packages under $100 will remain exempt from import duties.
On Saturday, postal services in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium and Italy said they will stop shipping most goods to the US effective immediately, citing ambiguity about what kind of goods are covered by the new rules, and the lack of time to process their implications. France and Austria adopted the move on Monday, while the United Kingdom will do so on Tuesday.
UK Royal Mail service, France’s national postal service La Poste, Nordic logistics company Postnord, Italy’s postal service Poste Italiane, Austria’s leading logistics and postal service provider Austrian Post and DHL are those that have paused shipping of global shipments under $800.
In Asia and the Pacific, services in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore have suspended some or all deliveries.
DHL had initially suspended business-to-consumer (B2C) shipments addressed to private individuals in the US where the declared value exceeded $800.
But starting April 28th, 2025, the value thresholds for shipments being sent to the US have been adjusted, DHL said. Shipments valued between $800 and $2,500 can once again be cleared using the expedited informal entry process.
Private customers can continue to send parcels worth less than $100 to the US as a standard parcel but with a caveat. Such shipments will be subject to even stricter controls to avoid misuse, DHL said.
