Postal visitors into the USA plunged by greater than 80% after the Trump administration ended a tariff exemption for low-cost imports, the United Nations postal company stated Saturday.
The Common Postal Union says it has began rolling out new measures that may assist postal operators around the globe calculate and acquire duties, or taxes, after the US eradicated the so-called “de minimis exemption” for lower-value parcels.
Eighty-eight postal operators have informed the UPU that they’ve suspended some or all postal service to the USA till an answer is applied with regard to US-bound parcels valued at $800 or much less, which had been the cutoff for imported items to flee customs expenses.
“The worldwide community noticed postal visitors to the US come to a near-halt after the implementation of the brand new guidelines on Aug 29, 2025, which for the primary time positioned the burden of customs responsibility assortment and remittance on transportation carriers or US Customs and Border Safety agency-approved certified events,” the UPU stated in an announcement.
The UPU stated info exchanged amongst postal operators via its digital community confirmed visitors from its 192 member international locations – practically all of the world international locations – had fallen 81% on 29 August, in contrast with every week earlier.
The company, primarily based in Bern, Switzerland, stated the “main operational disruptions” have occurred as a result of airways and different carriers indicated they weren’t prepared or in a position to acquire such duties, and overseas postal operators had not established a hyperlink to CBP-qualified firms.
Earlier than the measure took impact, the postal union despatched a letter to the US secretary of state Marco Rubio to specific issues about its influence.
The de minimis exemption has existed in some kind since 1938, and the administration says it has grow to be a loophole that overseas companies exploit to evade tariffs and that criminals use to get medication into the US.
Purchases that beforehand entered the US without having to clear customs now require vetting and are topic to their origin nation’s relevant tariff price, which may vary from 10% to 50%.
Whereas the change applies to the merchandise of each nation, US residents is not going to must pay duties on incoming presents valued at as much as $100, or on as much as $200 price of non-public souvenirs from journeys overseas, in response to the White Home.
The UPU stated its members had not been given sufficient time or steerage to adjust to the procedures outlined within the govt order Donald Trump signed on 30 July to remove the duty-free eligibility of low-value items.
