A number of postal providers round Europe introduced Saturday that they’re suspending the cargo of many packages to the USA amid an absence of readability over new import duties.
Postal providers in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Italy stated they may cease transport most merchandise to the U.S. efficient instantly. France and Austria will comply with Monday, and the UK Tuesday.
India’s authorities additionally stated the nation will briefly droop postal deliveries to the USA beginning Monday, besides letters, paperwork and present gadgets of as much as $100 in worth, the AFP reported.
Beneath a decree signed by President Donald Trump final month, worldwide items that have been beforehand exempt from U.S. tariffs — these valued beneath $800 — can be topic to import duties from Aug. 29. Letters, books, items and small parcels value lower than $100 will proceed to be exempt.
A commerce framework agreed by the U.S. and the European Union final month set a 15% tariff on the overwhelming majority of merchandise shipped from the EU.
Many European postal providers say they’re pausing deliveries now as a result of they can’t assure the products will enter the U.S. earlier than Aug. 29. They cite ambiguity about what sort of items are lined by the brand new guidelines, and the shortage of time to course of their implications.
Beginning Saturday, Deutsche Publish and DHL Parcel Germany stated they “will not be capable of settle for and transport parcels and postal gadgets containing items from enterprise prospects destined for the US.”
Postnord, the Nordic logistics firm, and Italy’s postal service introduced comparable suspensions efficient Saturday.
“Within the absence of various directions from US authorities … Poste Italiane can be compelled, like different European postal operators, to briefly droop acceptance of all shipments containing items destined for the USA, beginning August 23. Mail shipments not containing merchandise will proceed to be accepted,” Poste Italiane stated Friday.
Delivery by providers reminiscent of DHL Categorical stays doable, it added.
Björn Bergman, head of PostNord’s Group Model and Communication, stated the pause was “unlucky however needed to make sure full compliance of the newly applied guidelines.”
Within the Netherlands, PostNL spokesperson Wout Witteveen stated the Trump administration is urgent forward with the brand new duties regardless of U.S. authorities missing a system to gather them. He stated that PostNL is working intently with its U.S. counterparts to discover a answer.
“When you have one thing to ship to America, it is best to do it at this time,” Witteveen instructed The Related Press.
India’s communications ministry stated in a press release that the chief order issued final month requires transport carriers or different “certified events” accredited by US authorities to gather and remit the tariff duties, however “a number of vital processes regarding the designation of ‘certified events’ and mechanisms for obligation assortment and remittance stay undefined.”
“Consequently, US-bound air carriers have expressed their incapability to just accept postal consignments after twenty fifth August, 2025, citing lack of operational and technical readiness,” the ministry stated.
Austrian Publish, Austria’s main logistics and postal service supplier, acknowledged that the final acceptance of economic shipments to the U.S., together with Puerto Rico, will happen Tuesday.
France’s nationwide postal service, La Poste, stated the U.S. didn’t present full particulars or permit sufficient time for the French postal service to organize for brand spanking new customs procedures.
“Regardless of discussions with U.S. customs providers, no time was offered to postal operators to re-organize and guarantee the required laptop updates to evolve to the brand new guidelines,” it stated in a press release.
The UK’s Royal Mail stated it will halt U.S. shipments on Tuesday “to permit time for these packages to reach earlier than duties kick in.” Gadgets originating within the U.Okay. would require a ten% obligation for gadgets over $100, it stated.
PostEurop, an affiliation of 51 European public postal operators, stated that if no answer could be discovered by Aug. 29 all its members will probably comply with go well with.
