In late July, the Trump administration officially signed an executive order to end the tariff exemption for parcels valued at less than $800, a policy set to take effect on August 29. With the arrival of this deadline, multiple European and Asian international postal services have temporarily halted shipments of such parcels to the United States, waiting for further clarity on the relevant regulations.
Under the previous exemption policy, the United States allowed international carriers to deliver goods valued at less than $800 to the U.S. without paying any tariffs. At the end of July, the White House announced the termination of this exemption, citing its connection to the entry of fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the U.S.
According to data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a total of 1.36 billion parcels were sent to the U.S. under this exemption policy in 2024, involving goods worth $64.6 billion. The volume of goods shipped to the U.S. increased more than tenfold from February 15, 2015 to 2024.
Europe’s largest transport provider DHL announced on Friday, August 22, on its website that “Deutsche Post and DHL Paket Deutschland will no longer accept and transport parcels and mail from commercial senders to the U.S., including goods, effective immediately.”
DHL further mentioned that personal “gift” parcels valued at under $100, as well as documents and letters, are not affected by this executive order but will face stricter scrutiny. The restriction applies only to goods parcels sent by commercial senders through postal channels. DHL recommended that high-value parcels for commercial import be sent via DHL Express following regular commercial customs procedures.
Postal services from Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Italy announced on Saturday, August 23 that they would stop shipping most goods to the United States. France and Austria planned to halt shipments to the U.S. on Monday. However, Austria’s postal service stated that “gifts” valued at less than $100 can still be sent, and their premium services will continue to operate as usual.
Royal Mail in the UK stated that they will suspend shipments to the U.S. on Tuesday, August 26, to allow those parcels to arrive before the tariffs take effect. Items originating from the UK valued over $100, including gifts for friends and family, will be subject to a 10% tariff.
The company mentioned, “We have been working closely with U.S. authorities and international partners to adjust our services to meet the U.S.’s new minimum requirements, ensuring that UK consumers and businesses can continue to use our services after these requirements take effect.”
In fact, since July 2021, EU countries have eliminated the tariff-free threshold and now impose value-added tax (VAT) on all imported parcels.
Outside of Europe, countries like Singapore and Thailand from Asia have also announced suspensions of shipments to the U.S. until new regulations are clarified. Thailand’s postal service expressed regret in a statement on its website, stating, “Previously, the daily limit per person under this exemption policy was $800, allowing millions of small parcels from around the world to enter the U.S. smoothly.”
Australia Post announced a suspension in handling a few parcels transiting from third countries through Australia to the U.S. However, parcels sent directly from Australia, for either consumer or commercial purposes, remain unaffected. The company mentioned that they are coordinating with U.S. authorities and international partners to ensure the continuity of subsequent services.
The U.S. had terminated the minimum exemption for China back in May. At the time, the White House stated that many Chinese shippers were hiding illegal substances, including synthetic opioids, in low-value parcels to take advantage of the minimum exemption.