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Jamaica’s postal service has stopped accepting packages for shipment to the United States from members of the public, effective today, following a policy shift linked to tariffs by the United States, The Gleaner understands.
Outbound mail remains suspended for now, while the status of inbound mail remains unclear as of press time.
“Effective today, we were told not to accept any packages to the USA,” said a postal worker at a Kingston post office, who requested anonymity.
The Gleaner has sent queries to Jamaica Post and awaits a response.
Calls to two other postal workers at separate offices yielded similar responses, with staff refusing to accept US-bound packages.
“The cut-off was today for some reason,” said another postal manager at a different location.
Asked about inbound mail, a third postal worker was uncertain.
“They may be affected as well. But I do not know. Let’s see.”
The disruption follows the US government’s decision to end its longstanding tariff exemption for low-value imports—known as the de minimis rule—which allowed packages under US$800 to enter duty-free.
The exemption is set to expire Friday, prompting postal services across Europe to suspend shipments to the US amid confusion over the new import duties.
Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Italy have already halted most merchandise deliveries.
France and Austria are expected to follow.
Meanwhile, the UK’s Royal Mail announced that it would pause shipments on Tuesday.
The third Jamaican postal worker noted that mail to other countries remains unaffected.
However, she advised against sending anything to the US for now.
“If we collect your mail, it’s going nowhere. It will stay at the head office and not move. Do you want that?” she said.
“Mail is still going out to other countries.”
In Jamaica, the Postal and Telecommunications Department (PTD) processed 8.5 million pieces of mail in 2024, down from 10.2 million in 2023—a decline seen across all categories, including parcels and letters.
Revenue fell by $237 million to $458 million, reflecting the drop in mail volumes.
At the same time, expenditure rose, widening the department’s projected deficit to $3.7 billion, up from $3.0 billion the previous year.
business@gleanerjm.com
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