Topline
The postal services of Mexico, India, Japan and several other countries have suspended the shipment of packages to the U.S. as a result of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and new rules implemented by his administration that end duty exemptions for lower-value shipments entering the country, known as the “de minimis” rule.
Postal packages to the U.S. have been halted by several countries as Trump’s ending of the de minimis exemption goes into effect on Friday.
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Key Facts
On Wednesday, Mexico joined a growing list of countries whose postal services have temporarily suspended package shipments to the U.S., and said it is engaging in dialogue with U.S. officials and “international postal organizations to define mechanisms that will allow for the orderly resumption of services.”
Earlier this week, the postal services of Australia, Taiwan and Japan also announced a halt in the shipment of packages, although this pause will not impact letters, documents and postcards.
A week earlier, India, the U.K. and dozens of European Union members—including France, Germany and Italy—announced a similar pause in shipments.
Several other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including South Korea and Singapore also halted shipments last week.
What Is The De Minimis Exemption?
The “de minimis” provision was a special exemption granted to shipments entering the U.S., that were valued at $800 or less. Items covered under this provision could be shipped to the U.S. without paying duties or certain taxes. This exemption was seen as a loophole leveraged by e-commerce platforms like Temu and Shein. Earlier this year, Customs and Border Patrol reported it had processed at least 1.36 billion “de minimis” shipments in the fiscal year 2024, which was a nearly tenfold increase from 2015.
How Has The Trump Administration Changed The Exemption?
In April, Trump signed an executive order to eliminate the provision for imports from China and Hong Kong, which went into effect in May. The “de minimis” exemptions on shipments from other countries are set to end on Friday, as per an executive order signed late last month.
How Much Duty Will Such Shipments Face Now?
According to the July executive order ending the de minimis exemption, shipments will face a levy of $80 per item if they are sent from a country with a tariff rate of less than 16%. The price increases to $160 per item for countries with tariff rates between 16% and 25%, and to $200 for countries with rates above 25%.
Surprising Fact
A study commissioned by the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party found nearly half of all “de minimis” shipments entering the U.S. originated from China.
Big Number
25. That is the total number of member states that have suspended postal shipments to the U.S. according to a statement issued by the Universal Postal Union, which is a United Nations agency.
Crucial Quote
“The UPU Director General conveyed member countries’ concerns regarding operational disruption in a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 25 August 2025,” the UN Agency said. The UPU also said it is working on the “accelerated development of a scalable delivered duty paid solution that will facilitate duty collection and remittance across the UPU network.”
Further Reading
Hong Kong Post Suspends All Package Shipments To The U.S.—Blames Tariffs (Forbes)
Trump Globally Suspends Key Tariff Exemption That Let Temu And Shein Ship Most Goods Tariff-Free (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2025/08/28/several-countries-suspend-postal-shipments-to-the-us-heres-why/
