Postal services stop sending some mails to US: Are you affected?
Postal services globally have ceased sending certain mail to the United States as they prepare for increased tariffs, following Donald Trump’s elimination of an exemption for packages valued under US$800.
Carriers have been temporarily halting services since Friday to prevent the delivery of packages after 29 August, when they will begin incurring full tariff rates for the majority of parcels. Here is what you should understand regarding the changes and the countries that have been impacted.
Why are postal services being suspended?
The expense of sending packages to the US is anticipated to rise significantly after the Trump administration abolished a regulation that exempted packages valued under US$800 from tariffs.
Starting Friday, packages will incur fees based on the tariff rates applicable to their country of origin, resulting in much higher postage costs. Postal services will either need to absorb the increased expenses or transfer them to customers. Numerous countries have halted postal services to the US to allow time for adaptation to the new regulations and to account for the heightened costs.
Trump’s tariff actions had not previously affected the mailing of packages valued at less than US$800, which were exempt under “de minimis” rules, a Latin phrase denoting items too insignificant to be concerned about. In July, Trump announced the removal of de minimis treatment.
Does it apply to all mail?
Service suspensions vary by country. Many postal services will continue to send letters to the US but have suspended the mailing of any goods packages valued under $800.
Letters and personal gifts valued under US$100 will remain exempt from tariffs after Friday; however, certain services have halted all US postage of goods, while others have completely suspended postage to the US.
Packages that are already en route to the US and arrive before Friday will not incur tariffs. Conversely, those arriving after Friday may be returned to the sender to prevent fees, as stated by Belgium’s bpost, while New Zealand’s postal service indicated that the receiver would be liable for all duties and taxes.
Which countries have ceased mail delivery to the US?
By Tuesday, international postal services in nearly 30 countries had suspended certain services to the US. Services in 22 European nations—including the UK, France, Germany, and Italy—have halted some deliveries since Friday. PostEurop mentioned that its members, which include an additional 32 postal services, might be compelled to limit shipping.
In the Asia-Pacific region, postal services in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore have suspended some or all deliveries.
The online marketplace Etsy has paused US shipping label services for Australia Post, Canada Post, and the UK’s Royal Mail and Evri, advising users to seek alternative carriers that allow them to pre-pay tariff fees.
When will mail delivery to the US resume? Postal services have informed customers that US deliveries will be suspended indefinitely until they can establish alternative systems. Belgium’s bpost indicated that the disruption would continue until the US government provides comprehensive details on the new import regulations, allowing them to adjust their systems accordingly.
Australia Post has alerted its customers that postage fees will rise to accommodate tariff fees and new handling charges, following its collaboration with a US customs-authorized payments operator to create a new billing system. Although services have yet to clarify how their fees may be adjusted, parcels will incur the tariff rate based on their country of origin.
Until the end of February, US customs will also accept a temporary fixed fee alternative, which varies according to the tariff rate of the country of origin: $80, $160, or $200 per item, respectively, for countries with tariffs below 16%, between 16% and 25%, and exceeding 25%.
What prompted Trump to eliminate de minimis treatment?
This alteration is the most recent consequence of the Trump administration’s modifications to US trade policy and the utilization of tariffs as a diplomatic tool.
De minimis exemptions enabled substantial duty-free trade globally, permitting businesses to offer goods at comparatively lower prices when shipped in smaller quantities.
In 2024, the US received a total of 1.36 billion packages under this exemption, containing goods valued at $64.6 billion, as reported by US Customs. Online retailers such as Amazon, Etsy, Shein, and Temu have profited from this regulation.
All nations subject to tariffs will now be impacted by the revocation of the de minimis exemption. Trump had previously suspended the exemption for packages originating from China and Hong Kong in May, which the White House indicated represented the majority of de minimis shipments to the US.
Industry groups in the US had sought to close this loophole for years, citing unfair competition from Chinese vendors. This action nearly halved the number of US users of the China-based platform Temu in May compared to March, according to a report by Reuters.
Following Trump’s signing of the executive order in July that suspended de minimis treatment, the White House issued a statement asserting that the exemption had been exploited to smuggle fentanyl and opioids into the US, resulting in the deaths of Americans. SOURCE: Yahoo News (TheGuardian) Article by Luca Ittimani
