The US is facing a potential package delivery crisis as European and Asian postal agencies have begun pausing or restricting shipments due to uncertainty over the end of the de minimis tariff exemption. This exemption, which excluded packages worth $800 or less from tariffs, was formally revoked by President Trump on Wednesday.
As a result, small-dollar commerce and gift-giving may grind to a halt in the coming days, threatening hundreds of millions of packages annually. The US has seen an estimated 1.3 billion packages enter the country under de minimis rules last year, with about 60% coming from China.
Several international carriers, including PostEurop, Royal Mail, and Deutsche Post, have opted to pause sending packages or restrict shipments due to the new regulations. Japan Post also suspended accepting parcels for shipment to the US, citing unclear procedures laid out by US Customs and Border Protection.
The changes are expected to significantly impact discount retailers like Shein and Temu, whose shipments to the US suddenly became substantially more expensive. The de minimis exemption has been an important protection for businesses overseas and US customers, making low-price goods from around the world more accessible.
Source: https://www.axios.com/2025/08/24/trump-tariffs-de-minimis-europe