UPDATED: European Postal Package Services to US STOPPED - tariffs

UPDATE: Sunday, Aug 24, 2025 · 2:39:33 PM +00:00 · CathyM

add New Zealand to the list (thanks, Dubh01):

NZ Post is no longer shipping to the US, this is what we know...

www.stuff.co.nz/...

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UPDATE: Sunday, Aug 24, 2025 · 2:31:13 PM +00:00 · CathyM

Sunday UPDATE: This is the first I’ve seen, but NPR is now saying that the stopped shipping applies only to purchased packages worth over $100 and less than $800 — the de mimimus rule being suspended, but apparently a de micromus rule still in effect /s

www.npr.org/…

...An executive order from President Trump will end the "de minimis" rule, which allowed individual packages worth less than $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free, effective August 29. The "de minimis" rule (sometimes called a loophole) had already been eliminated for China and Hong Kong, but is now being suspended for all countries.

Letters are not affected by the new rules. Also, gifts worth less than $100 (and sent between individuals, not from a company) are exempt and can still be sent. But packages from businesses will be significantly affected. As NPR has previously reported, most packages shipped into the U.S. currently qualify for the "de minimis" exemption.

In a way, that’s worse, since it’ll be small businesses that don’t have a collective voice that will be hit hardest. And truly — does anyone doubt that a new “service” will spring up in which “gifts” are shipped between countries, for another “gift” of money? I hope there’s a way to publicize the chaos this is causing.

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UPDATE: Saturday, Aug 23, 2025 · 11:03:39 PM +00:00 · CathyM

UPDATE: I changed the title to be clear it’s package shipping (thanks, subtropolis!)

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UPDATE: Saturday, Aug 23, 2025 · 6:06:51 PM +00:00 · CathyM

UPDATE: it’s not just Europe (h/t Vega)

www.cbsnews.com/…

MoneyWatch

Postal services in India, Europe to suspend shipment of packages to U.S. over import tariffs

...India's government also said the country will temporarily suspend postal deliveries to the United States starting Monday, except letters, documents and gift items of up to $100 in value, the AFP reported.

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This one is gonna hit some folks hard — goodbye Etsy Europe…

apnews.com/…

European postal services suspend shipment of packages to US over import tariffs

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The end of an exemption on tariff duties for low-value packages coming into the United States is causing multiple international postal services to pause shipping as they await more clarity on the rule.

The exemption, known as the “ de minimis " exemption, allows packages worth less than $800 to come into the U.S. duty free. A total of 1.36 billion packages were sent in 2024 under this exemption, for goods worth $64.6 billion, according to data from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agency.

It is set to expire Friday. On Saturday, postal services around Europe announced that they are suspending the shipment of many packages to the United States amid confusion over new import duties.

Postal services in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Italy said they will stop shipping most merchandise to the U.S. effective immediately. France and Austria will follow Monday.The U.K.'s Royal Mail said it would halt shipments to the U.S. on Tuesday...

“as they await clarity on the rules”…. good luck with that, fellas...