Trump Imposes U.S. Customs Duties on Small Parcels
16 European Postal Operators Suspend or Restrict U.S.-Bound Deliveries
"Uncertainty Over Regulations and Inadequate System Preparation"
According to a report by the U.S. political media outlet Axios on August 24 (local time), not only South Korea but also postal agencies in many European countries, including the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Germany, have begun suspending or reducing parcel deliveries to the United States due to the burden of U.S. customs duties.
The Association of European Public Postal Operators announced that, as of this date, at least 16 member companies plan to temporarily suspend or restrict shipments to the United States. Shipping companies explained that there is significant uncertainty regarding the new U.S. regulations and insufficient time to establish enforcement systems, leading them to temporarily halt U.S.-bound services altogether.
The United Kingdom’s Royal Mail will discontinue its existing service starting on the 26th and plans to resume deliveries on the 28th under the new customs framework. Belgium’s Bpost halted shipments on the 23rd and has begun building a new system. Germany’s Deutsche Post implemented the same measure starting on the 22nd. Postal authorities in France, Greece, Austria, and Nordic countries have also warned of potential delivery disruptions.
South Korea’s Korea Post has also announced that, starting on the 25th, acceptance of U.S.-bound airmail parcels at post office counters will be suspended, and from the 26th, all international express mail service (EMS) items to the United States-except for duty-free documents-will no longer be accepted at post office counters. Going forward, only the ‘EMS Premium’ service, which is linked with the private company UPS, will be available for parcels sent to the United States. UPS is known to have its own customs clearance system, so no issues are expected in that regard. However, an overall increase in costs is anticipated.
President Donald Trump officially revoked the De Minimis exemption through an executive order at the end of last month. Previously, the U.S. government did not impose customs duties on parcels valued at $800 or less, but this policy will now be discontinued. The United States had already applied this measure in advance to parcels from China, including those from Temu and Shein. Starting on the 29th, all international mail sent to the United States, except for documents and letters, will be subject to declaration and a 15% customs duty.
Axios reported that, of the parcels entering the United States last year, about 1.3 billion items were subject to the De Minimis regulation, with approximately 60% of those originating from China.
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