Royal Mail halts package service from today as huge change could mean extra fees

Royal Mail users could soon be hit with added fees as the postal service makes a major move.

Royal Mail has brought in a huge change today that will impact how customers send packages and could result in added fees.

As of August 26, Royal Mail customers will find that they will temporarily be unable to send parcels over to the US. This change is due to President Donald Trump deciding to axe the tax exemption on any low-value parcels coming into the country.

As a result, Royal Mail will be launching a new service for shipping which will be available from Thursday, August 28. Until then, customers will not be able to send packages across the ocean until the new system is up and running.

Trump’s axing of the tax exemption on low-value parcels means that, from August 29, any packages worth more than $100 (£74) will be charged tariffs.

However, any packages worth less than $100 will still be duty free. It should also be noted that this new tax only applies to goods bought and sold, meaning parcels sent between family and friends will not be impacted.

In order to cover the costs associated with providing clearance services to the US, Royal Mail will be adding a 50p handling charge per parcel.

Again, this will only be applied to those sending sold goods and not to those sending packages to friends and family.

A spokesperson from the Royal Mail told the Sun: “We have been working hard with US authorities and international partners to adapt our services to meet the new US de minimis requirements so UK consumers and businesses can continue to use our services when they come into effect.

“We have temporarily paused existing services to the USA from today (Tuesday 26 August 2025) while we put a new service in place. Consumers sending gifts worth less than $100 will not have to pay duty.”

This suspension of packages to the US does not apply to cards or letters, which can continue to be sent as normal.

When the tax exemption was in place, Brits could send packages to the US worth up to $800 (£593) without incurring any tariffs.

In the light of new taxes, different tariff charges will be in place depending on the country the parcel is coming from.

For example, parcels from the UK will be subject to a 10 per cent tariff, while packages from Europe will be hit with a 15 per cent fee.

Royal Mail isn’t the only company to halt its delivery service to prepare for the new tariffs. Germany, Belgium, Austria, Spain and Italy have also suspended deliveries to the US.

Additionally, Etsy announced on August 25 it would be suspending shipping label purchases for several carriers, including Evri and Royal Mail, for parcels going to the US.

The online marketplace said: “The state of tariffs is evolving, so please be sure to keep an eye on recommendations from your preferred shipping carrier.”

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