European, Indian postal services to halt US-bound packages, over Trump tariff confusion
Under a Trump decree, international goods under US$800 will face import duties from August 29, but parcels under US$100 will remain exempt
Multiple postal services in Europe and India on Saturday suspended the shipment of many packages to the United States amid a lack of clarity over new US import duties.
Postal services in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Italy said they will stop shipping most merchandise to the US effective immediately. France and Austria will follow on Monday, and the United Kingdom on Tuesday.
Under a decree signed by President Donald Trump last month, international goods that were previously exempt from US tariffs – those valued under US$800 – will be subject to import duties from August 29. Letters, books, gifts and small parcels worth less than US$100 will continue to be exempt.
A trade framework agreed by the US and the European Union last month set a 15 per cent tariff on the vast majority of products shipped from the EU.
Many European postal services say they are pausing deliveries now because they cannot guarantee the goods will enter the US before August 29. They cite ambiguity about what kind of goods are covered by the new rules, and the lack of time to process their implications.
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Starting on Saturday, Deutsche Post and DHL Parcel Germany said they would “no longer be able to accept and transport parcels and postal items containing goods from business customers destined for the US”.