Major European postal services including DHL, Royal Mail and Deutsche Post have temporarily suspended parcel shipments to the United States, citing uncertainty over new tariff regulations set to take effect on 29 August.

DHL announced on 22 August that it would pause "acceptance and transport of business customer parcels via the postal network to the US" from Saturday, 23 August.

The suspension follows an executive order signed by president Donald Trump in late July that effectively ends the de minimis trade agreement.

The de minimis exemption, established under Section 321 of the Tariff Act of 1930, previously allowed packages worth less than $800 to enter the US duty-free.

In 2024, such shipments were valued at more than $1.36 billion, according to US Customs and Border Protection.

"Key questions remain unresolved, particularly regarding how and by whom customs duties will be collected in the future, what additional data will be required, and how the data transmission to the US Customs and Border Protection will be carried out," DHL said in a statement.

Royal Mail has also halted US-bound shipments from Tuesday 26 August to ensure parcels arrive before the new regulations take effect.

The company said it hoped to implement a new system within two days to comply with the upcoming requirements.

"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 stated.

Other European operators including France's La Poste, Spain's Correos, Poste Italiane, and postal services in Belgium, Sweden, Denmark and Norway have also suspended certain US shipments.

Austria's Österreichische Post joined the suspension on Tuesday.

The regulatory changes are expected to significantly impact small and medium-sized European businesses that export lower-value goods to the US. Commercial shipments will now face a minimum 15 per cent tariff, with some categories subject to higher duties.

Personal gifts worth less than $100 can still be sent between individuals, though postal operators warn these will be subject to additional checks to prevent commercial use of the service. Other items can be shipped via premium express services but will incur applicable tariffs.

The Trump administration had originally planned to end the exemption in February but postponed the deadline after packages began accumulating without adequate time for policy implementation. The loophole was already closed on 2 May for imports specifically from China and Hong Kong.

DHL stated it is "closely monitoring the further developments and is in contact with US authorities, together with its European partners" with the goal of resuming postal goods shipping "as quickly as possible," though no timeline has been provided.

PostEurop, representing 51 European public postal operators, indicated that if no practical solutions emerge before 29 August, all members would likely suspend the majority of parcel shipments to the US.

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