Postal services across Europe and beyond are grinding to a halt for shipments bound for the United States, as a major change in American import rules throws the global parcel industry into confusion. At the heart of the turmoil is the end of the so-called "de minimis" exemption, a trade loophole that, since 2016, has allowed packages valued at less than $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free. That all changes on August 29, 2025, when the exemption expires and new tariffs and customs procedures take effect for low-value parcels from nearly every country.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data cited by the Associated Press, the scale of this exemption has been enormous: 1.36 billion packages, worth a staggering $64.6 billion, were sent to the U.S. under the de minimis rule in 2024 alone. The majority of these packages—about 60%—originated from China, as reported by Axios. But the new rules, signed into effect by President Donald Trump in late July, will now apply to all countries, closing a loophole that American officials say has been widely abused.
The immediate impact has been dramatic. As of August 23, 2025, postal services in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Italy abruptly suspended most merchandise shipments to the U.S. France and Austria announced they would follow suit on August 25, with the United Kingdom’s Royal Mail halting shipments on August 26. Belgium’s Bpost and Germany’s Deutsche Post imposed similar restrictions, and New Zealand’s postal service also paused U.S.-bound parcels “until further notice.”
Many European postal operators say they simply don’t have enough information or time to adapt to the new requirements. DHL, Europe’s largest shipping provider, announced it would stop accepting and transporting parcels and postal items containing goods from business customers destined for the U.S. effective August 23. "Key questions remain unresolved, particularly regarding how and by whom customs duties will be collected in the future, what additional data will be required, and how the data transmission to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will be carried out," DHL said in a statement quoted by the Associated Press. Private parcels labeled as gifts under $100, however, will still be delivered, in line with White House assurances, as reported by NBC News.
France’s national postal service, La Poste, voiced similar frustrations, stating the U.S. had not provided full details or allowed enough time for postal operators to prepare for the new customs procedures. “Despite discussions with U.S. customs services, no time was provided to postal operators to re-organize and assure the necessary computer updates to conform to the new rules,” La Poste said, according to the Associated Press. Austria’s leading postal service, Austrian Post, announced that the last acceptance of commercial shipments to the U.S., including Puerto Rico, would occur on August 26.
In the Nordic region, PostNord’s head of Group Brand and Communication, Björn Bergman, described the pause as “unfortunate but necessary to ensure full compliance of the newly implemented rules.” Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, PostNL spokesperson Wout Witteveen told the Associated Press, “If you have something to send to America, you should do it today,” as the Trump administration presses ahead with new duties despite the lack of a collection system on the U.S. side.
PostEurop, the association representing 51 European public postal operators, warned that if no solution is found by August 29, all its members may suspend U.S.-bound shipments. As of August 24, at least 16 European postal agencies had already announced plans to pause or restrict shipments, according to Axios. Other countries, such as India and Greece, indicated that disruptions could follow as they scramble to update their systems and clarify procedures.
The new rules are part of a broader trade framework agreed upon by the U.S. and the European Union, which now imposes a 15% tariff on most products shipped from the EU, including those previously covered by the de minimis exemption. Royal Mail announced that items originating in the U.K. will require a 10% duty for items over $100. The White House’s rationale, as stated in NBC News, is to combat “escalating deceptive shipping practices, illegal material, and duty circumvention,” citing cases where the exemption was abused to send illicit drugs, such as fentanyl, into the U.S.
The change has already sent shockwaves through the e-commerce landscape, particularly impacting discount retailers like Shein and Temu, whose ability to ship inexpensive goods directly to American consumers has been a cornerstone of their business models. Axios reports that the sudden imposition of duties has made shipments from these retailers “substantially more expensive,” potentially reshaping the online shopping habits of millions of Americans.
For ordinary consumers and small businesses, the fallout is immediate and personal. Gift-giving and small-dollar commerce—activities that depend on affordable, cross-border shipping—face an uncertain future. Letters and documents are generally unaffected, but packages containing merchandise, even those of modest value, are now subject to tariffs and more complex customs procedures. The Associated Press quoted Poste Italiane, Italy’s postal service, as saying, “In the absence of different instructions from US authorities ... Poste Italiane will be forced, like other European postal operators, to temporarily suspend acceptance of all shipments containing goods destined for the United States, starting August 23. Mail shipments not containing merchandise will continue to be accepted.”
The numbers tell a story of explosive growth and, now, a dramatic reversal. According to the White House, the number of de minimis parcels entering the U.S. soared from 134 million in 2015 to more than 1.36 billion in 2024. This surge was fueled in large part by the rise of Chinese e-commerce platforms, prompting the Trump administration to first close the loophole for packages from China and Hong Kong in May 2025, before extending the policy worldwide.
Yet the rollout of the new rules has been anything but smooth. Postal authorities and shipping companies alike have raised concerns about backlogs, unclear enforcement mechanisms, and the sheer lack of time to retool their systems. As DHL put it, the industry faces “unresolved key questions” about how the process will work in practice. The White House, for its part, maintains that the crackdown is necessary to ensure fair trade and protect U.S. consumers, but the absence of clear guidance has left many operators in limbo.
Looking ahead, the international shipping landscape may be changed for good. If no solution emerges by August 29, the world’s mailrooms could see a near-total freeze on U.S.-bound parcels—a development with far-reaching consequences for businesses, consumers, and the global economy. For now, the message from European postal operators is clear: until the dust settles, sending a package to America is a gamble few are willing to take.
As the deadline looms, the world watches for clarity, hoping that a workable system can be established before global commerce faces a historic standstill.
