Postal traffic into the United States has plunged by more than 80% after the Trump administration scrapped a long-standing tariff exemption for low-cost imports, the United Nations postal agency said Saturday.
The Universal Postal Union (UPU) said it has begun rolling out measures to help postal operators worldwide calculate and collect duties after Washington eliminated the “de minimis exemption” for parcels valued at $800 or less.
According to the UPU, 88 postal operators have suspended some or all services to the U.S. until a solution is found.
“The global network saw postal traffic to the U.S. come to a near-halt after the new rules took effect on Aug. 29, 2025, placing the burden of customs duty collection on transportation carriers or U.S. Customs and Border Protection-approved companies,” the agency said.
Data exchanged through the UPU’s electronic system showed traffic from its 192 member countries had dropped 81% on Aug. 29 compared with the week before.
The agency, based in Bern, Switzerland, said “major operational disruptions” occurred because airlines and carriers refused to collect duties, while foreign postal operators lacked systems to link with U.S.-qualified partners.
Ahead of the change, the postal union had written to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warning about its impact.
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The exemption, first introduced in 1938, had long allowed lower-value imports to bypass customs. The Trump administration argued it had become a loophole exploited by foreign businesses to avoid tariffs and by criminals smuggling drugs into the country.
Under the new rules, purchases that once cleared customs duty-free are now subject to origin-based tariff rates ranging from 10% to 50%. Exceptions remain for U.S. residents receiving gifts worth up to $100 and souvenirs up to $200 from overseas trips, the White House said.
The UPU stressed that members were not given sufficient time or guidance to comply with the July 30 executive order that ended duty-free eligibility for low-value goods.
Source: Agency