A number of postal companies round Europe introduced Saturday that they’re suspending the cargo of many packages to the US amid an absence of readability over new import duties.
Postal companies in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Italy stated they may cease delivery 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 US 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 below $800 — can be topic to import duties from Aug. 29. Letters, books, items and small parcels price 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 companies 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 coated by the brand new guidelines, and the dearth of time to course of their implications.
Beginning Saturday, Deutsche Submit and DHL Parcel Germany stated they “will not be capable to 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 related 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 US, beginning August 23. Mail shipments not containing merchandise will proceed to be accepted,” Poste Italiane stated Friday.
Transport by companies equivalent to DHL Specific 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 carried out 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 carefully with its U.S. counterparts to discover a resolution.
“When you have one thing to ship to America, you must do it at this time,” Witteveen advised The Related Press.
India’s communications ministry stated in an announcement that the chief order issued final month requires transport carriers or different “certified events” authorised by US authorities to gather and remit the tariff duties, however “a number of vital processes referring to the designation of ‘certified events’ and mechanisms for obligation assortment and remittance stay undefined.” Â
“Consequently, US-bound air carriers have expressed their lack of ability to just accept postal consignments after twenty fifth August, 2025, citing lack of operational and technical readiness,” the ministry stated.Â
Austrian Submit, Austria’s main logistics and postal service supplier, said 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 new customs procedures.
“Regardless of discussions with U.S. customs companies, no time was offered to postal operators to re-organize and guarantee the mandatory pc updates to evolve to the brand new guidelines,” it stated in an announcement.
The UK’s Royal Mail stated it might halt U.S. shipments on Tuesday “to permit time for these packages to reach earlier than duties kick in.” Objects 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 resolution will be discovered by Aug. 29 all its members will seemingly comply with swimsuit.
