In late August 2025, the U.S. administration under President Donald Trump ended the "de minimis" exemption, which had allowed packages valued under $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free. This change, effective August 29, 2025, introduced new tariffs and customs requirements on low-value imports, creating uncertainty for postal operators worldwide. Many national postal services responded by temporarily suspending or restricting parcel shipments to the U.S. to avoid financial losses, logistical issues, and unclear procedures for collecting duties. Letters, documents, and small personal gifts (often under €100 or equivalent) are typically exempt from these suspensions, but merchandise parcels are broadly affected.
As of October 7, 2025, over 30 countries have announced such measures, according to reports from the Universal Postal Union (UPU), PostEurop, and national postal operators. These suspensions are temporary, with many services aiming to resume once systems adapt (e.g., via prepaid duties or alternative carriers). However, disruptions persist, impacting e-commerce, small businesses, and personal shipments. Private couriers like DHL may still operate but at higher costs.
### Countries with Suspended or Restricted Postal Services to the U.S.
The following table lists confirmed countries based on announcements from postal operators and international bodies. It includes the effective date (where specified) and notes on scope. This is not exhaustive, as additional nations may join.
| Country | Postal Service | Effective Date | Scope/Notes |
|--------------------------|-------------------------|----------------------|-------------|
| Australia | Australia Post | August 26, 2025 | Suspended parcels to U.S. and Puerto Rico; letters continue. |
| Austria | Österreichische Post | August 27, 2025 | Most merchandise paused; small gifts under €100 allowed with checks. |
| Belgium | bpost | August 25, 2025 | No acceptance of goods-containing packages. |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Pošta Sarajevo & Pošte Srpska | August 26, 2025 | Stopped all international items to U.S. |
| Czech Republic | Česká pošta | August 29, 2025 | Parcel suspensions reported via PostEurop. |
| Denmark | PostNord | August 24, 2025 | Most merchandise halted; "unfortunate but necessary" pause. |
| Finland | Posti | August 29, 2025 | Part of Nordic/PostEurop restrictions on goods. |
| France | La Poste | August 26, 2025 | Suspended shipments containing goods; documents exempt. |
| Germany | Deutsche Post/DHL | August 23, 2025 | No acceptance of business parcels via postal network; awaiting U.S. customs clarity. |
| Hong Kong | Hongkong Post | April 16, 2025 (escalated August) | Stopped goods shipments due to tariffs; earlier partial halt. |
| India | India Post | August 25, 2025 | All mail (letters, documents, gifts up to $100) suspended; full halt. |
| Indonesia | PT Pos Indonesia | August 2025 | Regular shipping paused; express options limited. |
| Ireland | An Post | August 29, 2025 | Parcel restrictions via PostEurop coordination. |
| Italy | Poste Italiane | August 23, 2025 | Suspended all merchandise shipments; letters continue. |
| Japan | Japan Post | August 26, 2025 | No parcels; letters, documents, postcards exempt. |
| Latvia | Latvijas Pasts | August 29, 2025 | Part of Baltic/EU-wide pause on goods. |
| Lithuania | Lietuvos paštas | August 29, 2025 | Similar to Latvia; merchandise affected. |
| Mexico | Correos de México | August 28, 2025 | Temporary suspension; in dialogue with U.S. authorities. |
| Netherlands | PostNL | August 26, 2025 | Paused due to lack of U.S. duty collection system. |
| New Zealand | New Zealand Post | August 27, 2025 | Suspended until further notice; logistical challenges. |
| Norway | Posten Norge | August 25, 2025 | Nordic-wide pause on most parcels. |
| Poland | Poczta Polska | August 29, 2025 | Goods shipments restricted. |
| Portugal | CTT | August 25, 2025 | Partial suspension; documents/gifts under €100 exempt. |
| Romania | Poșta Română | September 2025 | Suspended non-document items (e.g., birthday cards rejected). |
| Singapore | SingPost | August 25, 2025 | Halted shipments; only express mail available at higher cost. |
| South Korea | Korea Post | August 27, 2025 | Suspended parcels; premium services costlier. |
| Spain | Correos | August 25, 2025 | Most U.S.-bound goods paused. |
| Sweden | PostNord | August 24, 2025 | Merchandise halt; part of Nordic response. |
| Switzerland | Swiss Post | August 26, 2025 | Suspended shipments bound for U.S. |
| Taiwan | Chunghwa Post | August 27, 2025 | Small parcels paused; no prepay duty system yet. |
| Thailand | Thailand Post | August 2025 (extended October) | Airmail to U.S./Canada suspended; express 2-3x costlier. |
| United Kingdom | Royal Mail | August 27, 2025 | Halted parcels; expected 1-2 day disruption, then new invoicing. |
### Additional Impacts and Outlook
- **Europe**: 22+ countries via PostEurop (e.g., all EU members listed) are affected, with potential expansion to 32 more if unresolved.
- **Asia-Pacific**: Widespread halts, disrupting e-commerce from sites like Temu and Shein.
- **Canada**: Not primarily due to tariffs but a separate postal strike (suspended services to/from U.S. since late September 2025); some tariff-related rejections reported.
- **Resumptions**: Services like Royal Mail and Japan Post aim for quick restarts. A UPU conference in Dubai (September 2025) discussed solutions, but as of October 7, many remain paused.
- **Alternatives**: Use private carriers (e.g., FedEx, UPS) or wait for updates. Check USPS International Service Alerts for real-time status.
For the latest, monitor your national postal service or the UPU website. This situation stems from policy aiming to protect U.S. manufacturing but has caused global supply chain chaos.