Eighty-eight operators suspend postal services with the US due to customs measures

A total of 88 operators have completely or partially suspended postal services with the United States, leading to a drop in postal traffic to that country of more than 80 percent, due to the introduction of new American customs measures, the United Nations postal agency said.

According to the UPU, data exchanged between postal operators shows that traffic to the US was down 81 percent on Friday, August 29, compared to the previous Friday.

“In addition, 88 postal operators have notified the UPU that they have suspended all or part of their postal services to the United States, pending a resolution,” the UN agency said.

Among these companies are Germany’s Deutsche Post and the British postal operator Royal Mail.

The UPU, headquartered in Bern, the capital of Switzerland, was founded in 1874 and has 192 member states. It sets rules for international postal exchange and makes recommendations for improving services.

By executive order of July 30, the US administration decided, effective August 29, to abolish the duty exemption previously granted to small postal packages (shipments of goods with a value equal to or less than $800 (€686).

These packages have since been subject to the same tariff rates as those applied to other imports from the countries of origin. For example, 15 percent for European Union (EU) countries and 50 percent for India.

Only shipments between individuals worth less than $100 (86 euros) remain duty-free.

In addition to the short deadline for implementing the decision, the main problem lies in the fact that the decree requires “carriers and other authorized parties to collect customs duties in advance from shippers and transfer consolidated amounts to the US Customs and Border Protection Bureau,” the UPU stated in late August.

US President Donald Trump justified the decision by wanting to “close a catastrophic loophole in the law that is being used, among other things, to evade customs duties and ship synthetic opioids and other dangerous products.”

The US measure, initially taken in early 2025, was aimed only at China and Hong Kong, as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on e-commerce giants Shein and Tema. It has been expanded to all countries to supposedly ensure its effectiveness.

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