European postal service operators are halting most parcel deliveries to the United States due to growing uncertainty and increased expenses associated with upcoming U.S. customs rules for low-value imports, according to a report by Xinhua.
On Friday, DHL Group—Germany’s biggest postal and logistics provider declared a temporary suspension of commercial shipments and select private parcels to the United States via postal services. The move follows an executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump last month, aiming to eliminate the long-standing ‘de minimis’ rule, which had permitted duty-free entry for low-value goods priced up to $800.
Starting August 29, all imported goods will be subject to customs processing and applicable tariffs under the new regulations.
The uncertainty has had a widespread impact across Europe. As of Saturday, postal services in over a dozen countries, including France, the UK, Italy, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, had declared either full suspensions or significant limitations on parcel deliveries to the United States.
PostEurop, the organization of European postal operators, cautioned that without swift and practical solutions, its members might be forced to impose temporary limits or halt deliveries to the U.S.
The United States has yet to provide clear guidance on several essential processes, including how customs fees will be collected, what data needs to be submitted, and how coordination with U.S. customs officials will be handled.
Logistics experts have cautioned that the revised U.S. customs rules may cause wider disruptions. The suspension is already affecting e-commerce and delivery systems, with many European small enterprises and independent vendors depending heavily on low-cost national postal services to reach customers in the United States.
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