Postal services across Europe have temporarily stopped accepting many parcels bound for the United States, citing uncertainty over new US customs rules that abolish the long-standing duty-free threshold for low-value imports.
The suspension comes ahead of 29 August, when an executive order signed by President Donald Trump takes effect, ending the de minimis exemption that allowed goods worth up to $800 to enter the US duty-free. From Friday, almost all commercial parcels will require full customs clearance, duties and additional data.
DHL Parcel Germany was among the first to announce a halt, telling business customers it would no longer accept US-bound postal parcels from 22 August. Gifts valued up to $100 and letters remain unaffected, while DHL Express, the company’s courier arm, continues to operate with its own customs channels.
In the UK, Royal Mail has paused some US services while it prepares to launch new duties-paid options on 28 August. Postal operators in France, Spain, Belgium, the Nordics and elsewhere have also introduced restrictions, with the Universal Postal Union (UPU) confirming that around 25 member states have suspended certain goods consignments to the US.
Operators stress the measures are temporary, but no common restart date has been given. Royal Mail has indicated its interruption could last “only a couple of days” while systems are adapted, and DHL has said it will resume “as quickly as possible”.
The abrupt change has left postal networks scrambling to adapt. Collecting duties in advance, transmitting more granular data such as HS codes, and complying with US Customs and Border Protection’s new requirements all require significant changes to IT and operational processes.
The scale of the disruption could be significant. The US processed an estimated 1.36 billion de minimis packages in fiscal year 2024—about four million parcels per day – with an aggregate value of roughly $60-65 billion, according to government briefings.
While China accounts for the largest share, Europe is a major source of small and medium-sized enterprise exports to the American market. Germany alone handled nearly half a billion cross-border parcels in 2023, a portion of which were destined for the United States.
Letters and documents are unaffected by the new rules, and person-to-person gifts under $100 remain eligible in most postal networks. Express carriers such as FedEx, UPS and DHL Express continue to accept parcels, but duties will now apply to most items and customers can expect higher costs and more paperwork.
Analysts warn that e-commerce merchants may face immediate headaches. Many European sellers rely on low-cost postal channels to reach US customers. With those flows disrupted, companies may need to switch to express services at higher cost or explore US-based fulfilment to keep business moving.
The UPU is coordinating with members to standardise duty collection and data flows. Industry observers expect most posts to resume services once technical solutions are in place, but the short-term impact on small businesses and cross-border trade could be severe.
