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Postal services across Europe have halted, or are preparing to halt, most parcel shipments to the United States, citing uncertainty over how new import charges will be applied when the US ends duty-free entry for low-value packages on 29 August 2025.
Operators in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Sweden and Denmark paused the bulk of US-bound merchandise over the weekend; Austria’s Österreichische Post and the UK’s Royal Mail said they would stop accepting packages on Tuesday. Swiss Post also announced a temporary suspension of goods consignments starting Tuesday.
The moves follow an executive order signed in late July by President Donald Trump abolishing the de minimis exemption that allowed packages worth less than $800 to enter the US without tariffs or extensive customs formalities. From 29 August, such items will face import duties and taxes; for most EU-origin goods the applicable rate is 15%, in line with the tariff framework now covering a broad range of European exports. US authorities recorded 1.36bn packages worth $64.6bn under the de minimis route in 2024.
Postal operators said key operational questions remain unresolved, including who should pay the charges, how payments will be collected and how required data must be transmitted to US Customs. Deutsche Post DHL stated it is temporarily not accepting or transporting parcels and postal items containing goods from business customers to the US via the postal network; express services remain available. Several operators said letters and gifts sent by individuals — typically up to around €100 in value — would still be carried but subject to additional checks to prevent misuse.
France’s La Poste said the US rules were confirmed only on 15 August, leaving an “extremely limited timeframe” for preparation. The operator said it sends on average 1.6m packages a year to the US, about 80% from businesses and 20% from individuals. Poste Italiane said it had been “forced to temporarily suspend acceptance of all shipments containing merchandise destined for the US”, while the Nordic operator PostNord said its pause was necessary given the short time to adapt. Belgium’s bpost said the regulatory change removes the previous exemption and places compliance responsibilities on carriers.
Royal Mail said it would stop accepting most US-bound parcels on Tuesday to allow items already in transit to arrive before the new regime takes effect, and that it aims to resume services once procedures are in place. The Netherlands’ PostNL cautioned that US authorities lacked a collection system for the charges. Posts in Central Europe have also announced temporary suspensions to avoid items becoming stuck at the border without the required declarations.
PostEurop, the association representing 51 public postal operators, said members were working on solutions but warned that if no practical arrangements were established before 29 August, most commercial parcels to the US would be suspended. The organisation said the executive order on de minimis would affect global postal shipments and that networks were seeking ways to maintain the universal service for business and private senders.
Analysts and trade advisers said the suspension of de minimis, combined with the 15% tariff framework on most EU goods, would raise costs and processing requirements for low-value e-commerce and small exporters. EU and US officials have outlined a trade framework that maintains the 15% ceiling on most European imports while the EU reduces certain barriers for US goods; sectoral measures for metals remain in place.
The disruption is not confined to Europe. Reuters reported that Japan Post will suspend certain US-bound items and Swiss Post will temporarily stop accepting goods consignments, reflecting the global reach of the rule change. Industry briefings suggest further announcements are likely as posts and couriers adapt systems ahead of the 29 August deadline.
For European SMEs that relied on the small-parcel channel, the near-term issue is continuity of service. Operators said they would provide updates as procedures are agreed with US authorities. In the interim, senders are being advised to check individual postal websites, consider express options where available, and ensure that commercial invoices, product identifiers and other customs data meet US entry requirements. Further updates expected.
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