The UN’s postal agency said Tuesday that 25 countries have decided to suspend package deliveries to the United States as concerns grow over the impact of imminent tariffs from President Donald Trump.
“Postal operators from 25 member countries have already informed the UPU that they have suspended their outbound postal services to the United States, citing uncertainties specifically related to transit services,” the Universal Postal Union said in a statement.
The Trump administration has said it will abolish a tax exemption on small packages entering the United States starting August 29.
“These suspensions will remain in effect pending further information on how U.S. authorities will implement the announced measures, as well as the actual implementation of the required operational changes,” the statement said.
On Friday, the United States plans to eliminate a tariff exemption that allowed duty-free entry for imports valued at $800 or less. With the removal of the de minimis exemption, such shipments will incur charges ranging from 10% to 50% of their declared value or, for the next six months, a fixed tariff of $80 to $200 per package.
“Consumers are going to be surprised,” said Alison Layfield, vice president of product development at ePost Global, an international shipping and logistics provider. “I think they’re going to get an unpleasant surprise, or at some point, they’re going to see that additional cost.”
When U.S. Customs and Border Protection Steps In
Once a package arrives in the U.S., the first stop is a customs office. There, a border agent reviews the digitized Harmonized System (HS) code on the customs declaration. This code is a numerical method used worldwide to classify traded products and determine tariff rates.
If the package was shipped through the international postal system, which includes the U.S. Postal Service, and is subject to tariffs or customs fees, payment may be required upon delivery or pickup. Courier services like DHL, FedEx, and UPS bill customers or require payment at the time of delivery.
Image: Infobae
