Postal services across Europe, Asia, and beyond have abruptly suspended shipments of many packages to the United States, as a wave of confusion and uncertainty sweeps through the global logistics industry over new U.S. import duties set to take effect on August 29, 2025. The move, which began with announcements from Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Italy on August 23, quickly spread to France, Austria, the United Kingdom, and several Asian countries, leaving businesses and consumers scrambling to adjust to the sudden halt in cross-border e-commerce.
The catalyst for this disruption is a decree signed by President Donald Trump last month, ending the longstanding de minimis exemption that allowed goods valued under $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free. Starting August 29, nearly all international goods—except for verifiable gifts and small parcels valued under $100—will face import duties. According to the White House, this change is intended to close what it calls a loophole used to evade tariffs and, in some cases, funnel illegal drugs into the country. As reported by South China Morning Post, a new trade framework between the U.S. and European Union also imposes a 15% tariff on most products shipped from the EU.
For many postal operators, the lack of clear guidance from U.S. authorities on the practicalities of collecting and remitting these duties has created a logistical nightmare. DHL, the largest shipping provider in Europe, explained in a statement, “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.” This uncertainty has led to a domino effect, with postal services pausing shipments to avoid getting caught in a bureaucratic tangle or risking non-compliance.
Deutsche Post and DHL Parcel Germany announced they would “no longer be able to accept and transport parcels and postal items containing goods from business customers destined for the US” as of August 23. Poste Italiane, Italy’s postal service, echoed this sentiment, stating, “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 company clarified that shipping by private courier services such as DHL Express remains possible.
The United Kingdom’s Royal Mail is following suit, planning to halt U.S. shipments on August 26 “to allow time for those packages to arrive before duties kick in.” According to Royal Mail, items originating in the U.K. will require a 10% duty for goods over $100 starting August 29. France’s La Poste cited insufficient time and details from U.S. customs to prepare for new procedures, lamenting, “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.”
The ripple effects are not limited to Europe. India’s government announced it will temporarily suspend postal deliveries to the United States starting August 25, except for letters, documents, and gift items up to $100 in value. The country’s communications ministry pointed to a lack of operational and technical readiness for transport carriers to accept postal consignments after August 25, citing undefined processes for the designation of “qualified parties” and mechanisms for duty collection and remittance. “Consequently, US-bound air carriers have expressed their inability to accept postal consignments after 25th August, 2025, citing lack of operational and technical readiness,” the ministry stated.
In Asia, Korea Post will halt accepting air parcels and some express mail services to the U.S. starting Tuesday, while Singapore’s SingPost will suspend standard services for commercial shipments to America from Monday. Japan has warned of potential delays or returned parcels, promising to provide more information as it becomes available. Australia Post has temporarily suspended its transit service deliveries—items from third countries sent through Australia to the U.S.—though regular direct deliveries between Australia and the U.S. remain unaffected.
Other European countries are making similar moves. Norway and Finland’s mail carriers began stoppages on August 23, while the Czech Republic and Belgium’s Bpost have also paused U.S.-bound parcels. Austria’s postal provider announced its last acceptance of commercial shipments to the U.S., including Puerto Rico, would be August 26. The Netherlands’ PostNL spokesperson Wout Witteveen told Associated Press, “If you have something to send to America, you should do it today.” He added that PostNL is working closely with its U.S. counterparts to find a solution, but for now, the Trump administration is pressing ahead with the new duties despite the lack of a collection system.
The confusion extends to online marketplaces as well. Etsy, a major platform for independent sellers, announced it will suspend its shipping label service for U.S.-bound packages from Australia, Canada, and the UK starting August 25. The company advised shippers to use carriers that have systems in place to pay duties before goods arrive in the U.S., such as United Parcel Service (UPS) and FedEx. According to Bloomberg, FedEx continues to accept and transport shipments to the U.S. and is unaffected by the postal operators’ decisions, while UPS had no immediate comment.
Kate Muth, executive director of the International Mailers Advisory Group, which represents the U.S. international mailing and shipping industry, expressed concern over the growing number of suspensions. “It is a real concern that the dominoes are falling and there will be a ripple effect where more and more posts announce that they will be suspending packages to the U.S.,” she said, according to Bloomberg. The White House and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have provided some guidance, including certifying two companies to collect and pay duties on behalf of international mail carriers as of August 21, but many in the industry say it is too little, too late.
For now, consumers and businesses face a patchwork of suspended services, higher costs, and mounting uncertainty. As PostEurop, an association of 51 European public postal operators, warned, if no solution is found by August 29, all its members may be forced to follow suit. The global mail system, once a seamless conduit for commerce and connection, finds itself at a crossroads—caught between shifting political priorities and the practical realities of international trade.
With the deadline looming and clarity still in short supply, the world’s postal networks—and the millions who rely on them—are left waiting for answers.
