European Postal Services Suspend Shipment of Packages to US Over Import Tariffs
The end of an exemption from tariff tasks for low-quality packages coming to the USA has prompted several international postal services to pause shipping to the USA, as they expect more clarity about the rule. The exemption, referred to as the “de Minimis”, allows packages worth less than $800 to be brought to the US duty-free. According to the US Customs and Border Protection authority, a total of 1.36 billion packages were sent as part of this liberation, with goods worth $64.6 billion.
Impact on Postal Services
Postal services in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Italy have announced that they will immediately stop shipping packages to the United States, citing confusion about new import duties. France and Austria will follow on Monday. The Royal Mail in Great Britain announced that it will post programs to the USA on Tuesday to ensure time for these packages before the tasks arrive. Objects worth over $100, including gifts to friends and family, will meet an obligation of 10%.
“The most important questions remain unresolved, especially about how and by whom additional data will be recorded in the future and how data transmission to the US Customs and Border Protection will be carried out,” said DHL, the largest shipping provider in Europe. The company stated that from Saturday, it will be “no longer able to accept and transport packages and post items that contain goods from business customers that are intended for the USA”.
Tariff Framework and Exemptions
A trade framework agreed upon by the United States and the European Union last month has set a 15% tariff on the vast majority of EU ships shipped by the EU. Packages below $800 are now also subject to the tariff. The US duty-free exemption for goods coming from China ended in May as part of the Trump government’s efforts to prevent American buyers from ordering Chinese goods with low value. The exception is extended to programs from all over the world.
Many European postal services state that they are now going on a break because they cannot guarantee that the goods will enter the United States before August 29. They quote ambiguities about the type of goods under the new rules and the lack of time to process their effects. Postnord, the Nordic logistics company, and the postal service in Italy announced similar suspensions on Saturday.
Reactions and Next Steps
“In the absence of various instructions from the US authorities, Poste Italiane, like other European postal operators, is forced to temporarily expose the acceptance of all shipments to goods that are intended for the United States from August 23. Postal deliveries that do not contain any goods will continue to be accepted,” said Poste Italiane in a statement on Friday. Shipping by services such as DHL Express remains possible.
Bjorn Bergman, head of the group and communication of Postnords group brand, said that the break was “unhappy but necessary to ensure that the newly implemented rules are completely implemented”. In the Netherlands, the Postnl spokesman Woutteveen said the Trump administration pushed the new tasks forward, although the US authorities are missing a system to collect them. He said that Postnl is working closely with his American colleagues to find a solution.
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Source: www.latimes.com
