Postal services across Europe are suspending shipments to the United States as the duty-free exemption for low-value packages is set to expire next week. The decision comes after President Donald Trump announced his plan to remove the exemption, which would allow packages over $800 to be subject to additional taxes.
The exemption is set to end on August 29, and carriers such as Deutsche Post and DHL Parcel Germany have stopped accepting shipments containing goods for the US market until further notice. The Association of European Postal Services has warned that due to unclear guidelines, some members may need to restrict or suspend shipping to the US.
The US Customs and Border Protection has provided instructions for international carriers, requiring them to collect and remit duties based on the country of origin. This change is expected to impact millions of packages, with estimates suggesting over 3 billion inbound packages in 2021.
Smaller sellers, including local artisans, are concerned that eliminating the exemption will make it too costly for them to ship goods to US buyers. The duty-free threshold ends at 12:01 a.m. on August 29.
Source: https://www.newsweek.com/some-european-postal-services-halt-us-deliveries-over-trump-executive-order-2118282