Several European postal services have suspended shipments of packages to the United States after Washington ended a long-standing tariff exemption for low-value imports, creating widespread uncertainty over new customs procedures.
The “de minimis” exemption — which allowed packages worth less than $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free — expired Friday. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 1.36 billion packages worth $64.6 billion were shipped under the scheme in 2024 alone.
With the exemption gone, packages from Europe under $800 will now face tariffs, following a trade framework agreed between Washington and the European Union that imposed a 15% duty on most EU exports.
Postal authorities in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Italy said they have already suspended shipments to the U.S., while France and Austria will follow on Monday. The U.K.’s Royal Mail will halt deliveries on Tuesday, noting that items valued above $100 — including gifts — will now incur a 10% tariff.
DHL, Europe’s largest shipping provider, said from Saturday it would stop accepting parcels from business customers bound for the U.S., citing unresolved issues over who will collect duties, what data must be provided, and how information will be transmitted to U.S. customs.
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Poste Italiane confirmed Friday that it has suspended all merchandise shipments to the U.S. effective Aug. 23, while allowing mail without goods. Nordic carrier PostNord and the Netherlands’ PostNL announced similar steps, saying they cannot ensure compliance without clearer U.S. guidance.
French operator La Poste accused U.S. authorities of failing to provide sufficient time or technical details to adapt to the new system. PostEurop, which represents 51 European postal operators, warned that all its members may suspend shipments if a solution is not reached by Aug. 29.
The duty-free exemption for Chinese-origin goods was already scrapped in May as part of the Trump administration’s trade measures. That restriction has now been extended globally, affecting parcels from Europe and beyond.
Source: Agency