Postal services in at least 25 countries have stopped sending packages to the United States as confusion grows over Washington’s new tariff rules, the United Nations reported on Tuesday.
Late last month, the Trump administration announced it would remove a long-standing tax exemption on small packages entering the US, effective August 29. The policy change has triggered widespread disruptions, with postal operators in France, Britain, Germany, Italy, India, Australia, and Japan announcing that most shipments to the US would no longer be accepted.
The United Nations’ Universal Postal Union (UPU) confirmed that 25 member countries had informed it that their postal services “have suspended outbound postal services to the US, citing uncertainties specifically related to transit services.” The union said these suspensions would continue until there is clarity on how the US plans to implement the new measures, but it did not disclose the list of affected countries.
The UPU, which has 192 member states and was founded in 1874, warned that the US rules would cause “considerable operational changes for postal operators worldwide.” From Friday, postal carriers delivering packages to the US will be required to collect customs duties in advance on behalf of the US Customs and Border Protection agency.
India’s communications ministry noted that Trump’s executive order mandates that transport carriers or other “qualified parties” approved by US authorities must collect and remit tariff duties. However, several key processes, such as identifying “qualified parties” and mechanisms for duty collection, remain undefined.
Individual senders will still be able to ship documents or items worth up to $100 as gifts without tariffs. Anything above that threshold will face new tariffs: 15 per cent for EU countries and 50 per cent for India. German postal service DHL has warned that even exempt items may face extra inspections to prevent misuse for commercial shipments.
The UPU said it is “taking all possible measures to prepare member countries for the impacts these new measures may have on postal flows.” UPU Director-General Masahiko Metoki sent a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday to highlight members’ concerns about potential disruptions, particularly to e-commerce deliveries.
The union is also working with postal stakeholders to develop sustainable solutions, including a system to facilitate the collection and remittance of duties across its network.
AFP
