Postal carriers across Europe and other parts of the world are preparing to suspend merchandise shipments to the U.S. following the Trump administration's decision to end the long-standing de minimis tariff exemption.
The "de minimis" rule previously allowed international carriers to deliver goods valued at under $800 into the U.S. without paying import duties.
The White House announced weeks ago that the exemption would be eliminated, linking the change to efforts aimed at curbing the flow of fentanyl and other illicit substances entering the country.
DHL, Europe's largest shipping company, issued a statement Friday on its website saying: "Deutsche Post and DHL Parcel Germany will no longer be able to accept and transport parcels and postal items containing goods from business customers destined for the U.S." The change took effect immediately.
The new regulations officially go into effect on August 29.
DHL clarified that its suspension would only be temporary, citing the need to adapt to "new processes required by U.S. authorities for postal shipping, which differ from the previously applicable regulations."
The company added: "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 U.S. Customs and Border Protection will be carried out."
Postal providers in several other European countries -- including Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Austria, France, and Belgium -- have also announced plans to pause merchandise deliveries to the U.S.
The BBC reported that the U.K.'s Royal Mail has also temporarily suspended parcel shipments.
Outside of Europe, Singapore and Thailand have stated that they too will halt packages headed to the U.S. until there is more clarity regarding the new procedures.
"The halt underscores the sweeping disruption caused by President Trump's decision to eliminate the de minimis threshold, which previously allowed low-value parcels to enter the US without customs duties," Thailand Post said in a statement. "The exemption, capped at US$800 per person per day, facilitated millions of small packages from around the world entering the US smoothly."
Australia Post confirmed that it has also paused a limited number of parcels originating from other countries and bound for the U.S.
Meanwhile, Royal Mail reassured consumers and businesses that it is working closely with U.S. authorities to adapt: "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," the company said.
The U.S. had already removed the de minimis exemption for packages arriving from China back in May.
According to the White House, the rule was being exploited by Chinese-based shippers, who allegedly concealed synthetic opioids and other illegal drugs in low-value parcels to bypass customs inspections.
The administration also cited explosive growth in de minimis imports, which surged from 134 million shipments in 2015 to 1.34 billion in 2024, according to the Financial Times.
The policy change is expected to significantly affect Chinese-based fast-fashion giants like Temu and Shein, which rely heavily on direct-to-consumer shipping under the previous exemption.