Royal Mail and DHL have suspended some deliveries to the United States as postal operators worldwide scramble to adapt to President Donald Trump’s sudden changes to America’s import rules.
From 29 August, the US will no longer allow low-value parcels to enter duty-free, ending the so-called de minimis exemption that let overseas consumers send goods worth up to $800 without paying tariffs. Only gifts valued at under $100 will remain duty-free.
The move, announced through a White House executive order last month, accelerates changes initially due in 2027 and marks a significant escalation in Trump’s trade agenda.
Royal Mail said it would suspend its US export services for businesses from Tuesday, although it hopes to resume within days once systems are updated. Cards and letters will continue to be delivered as usual.
“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,” Royal Mail said.
The company added it was confident of restoring services quickly but warned businesses to expect disruption in the short term.
Deutsche Post and DHL Parcel Germany also confirmed they would temporarily suspend business parcel services to the US, citing “key questions” about how duties will be charged and who will be responsible for payment. DHL said its express services would continue to operate.
PostNord, the Nordic postal operator, has also paused US shipments, saying American authorities only provided full technical details on 15 August, leaving insufficient time to implement changes.
Bjorn Bergman, PostNord’s head of group brand and communication, said: “This decision is unfortunate but necessary to ensure full compliance of the newly implemented rules.”
Online marketplace Etsy has responded by suspending US-bound shipping label purchases for Royal Mail, Australia Post, Canada Post and Evri parcels until carriers have adapted.
The US government justified the move by pointing to a surge in de minimis shipments, which more than doubled from 115 million in 2023/24 to 309 million by June this year. Officials claim the exemption has been “abused” by some shippers to send illicit goods, including drugs, into the country.
Although China has been the largest source of these parcels – via fast-fashion platforms such as Shein and Temu – significant volumes also arrive from Canada and Mexico.
The White House said ending the exemption would help tackle “escalating deceptive shipping practices, illegal material, and duty circumvention”.
The tariff changes are expected to increase costs for online shoppers in the US, particularly for low-value items such as clothing, accessories and homeware. Retailers outside America now face urgent decisions on how to price, label and ship goods, while logistics providers must upgrade systems to collect and remit duties.
For UK exporters, the pause by Royal Mail and courier networks could prove costly, particularly for small businesses reliant on e-commerce sales to US customers.
With postal services pledging to restore US parcel flows as quickly as possible, the coming weeks will be a critical test of how resilient international supply chains are to President Trump’s sudden policy shifts.