Postal traffic into the United States fell by more than 80% after the Trump administration eliminated a long-standing tariff exemption for low-value imports, the United Nations postal agency said.
The Universal Postal Union, in a statement reported by the Associated Press on Sept. 6, 2025, said 88 postal operators have suspended some or all services to the United States following the Aug. 29 implementation of rules that removed the so-called "de minimis exemption." The exemption had allowed imported parcels valued at $800 or less to enter the U.S. without customs duties or taxes.
The UPU said the new U.S. rules, for the first time, placed the burden of customs duty collection and remittance on transportation carriers or on U.S. Customs and Border Protection-approved qualified parties. That shift, the agency said, caused a near-halt of global postal flows to the United States while postal operators reassess capacity and compliance requirements.
"The global network saw postal traffic to the U.S. come to a near-halt after the implementation of the new rules on Aug. 29, 2025, which for the first time placed the burden of customs duty collection and remittance on transportation carriers or U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency-approved qualified parties," the UPU said.
The UPU said it has begun rolling out measures intended to help postal operators calculate and collect duties for U.S.-bound parcels now that the de minimis threshold no longer applies. Postal services and carriers worldwide face new operational, technical and financial responsibilities to comply with U.S. customs requirements, the agency said, and many have paused shipments while they implement systems or await guidance.
The de minimis rule had exempted lower-value consumer goods from routine customs duties, facilitating a high volume of small parcels associated with e-commerce and cross-border retail. With the exemption removed and an $800 cutoff no longer shielding low-value shipments, postal operators — especially those in countries with large outbound e-commerce volumes — must either collect duties at origin, arrange for an approved third party to do so, or stop sending mail to the United States.
The UPU did not quantify the number of parcels affected but said that 88 postal operators had notified it that they were suspending some or all services to the United States until a practical solution for U.S.-bound parcels valued at $800 or less is implemented. The agency said its new tools aim to standardize the calculation and remittance process across the international postal network.
The suspension of postal services to the U.S. carries potential implications for retailers, small businesses and consumers who rely on low-cost international shipments. Carriers and postal operators will need to update customs declaration processes, payment mechanisms and IT systems to handle duty collection and remittance in the absence of the de minimis exemption.
The UPU statement came amid a broader U.S. policy shift toward altering trade and tariff arrangements for imported goods. Postal operators and industry groups have been pressing for clear operational guidance and workable technical solutions to minimize disruption while complying with the new U.S. requirements. The affected postal operators have said suspensions will remain in place until coordination with the UPU, carriers and U.S. authorities yields a workable implementation path.
The Associated Press contributed reporting to this article.