The United Nations’ Universal Postal Union (UPU) announced that 25 countries have suspended package deliveries to the United States due to uncertainties surrounding President Donald Trump’s new tariff policies, effective August 29, as reported by The Guardian.
The decision affects postal services in countries such as France, Germany, India, and Australia, underscoring global concerns about the sudden termination of a tax exemption for small packages.
In July 2025, Trump issued an executive order that eliminates the de minimis exemption, which previously allowed packages valued under $800 to enter the U.S. without paying duties. Starting August 29, postal carriers will be required to collect customs duties in advance, with tariffs ranging from 15% for countries in the EU to 50% for India. The Universal Postal Union (UPU) has noted that unclear procedures for duty collection have led to service suspensions until U.S. authorities clarify how the new implementation will work.
BREAKING: Trump’s reckless tariff stunt just broke the mail.
By killing the long-standing duty-free rule on small imports, he’s triggered a worldwide backlash that going to be devastating for America.
Postal services in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, France, Austria, the UK,… pic.twitter.com/utsWuvZXh8
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) August 24, 2025The Universal Postal Union (UPU), comprising 192 member states, has warned of “considerable operational changes” for postal operators due to the introduction of advanced duty collection, which is disrupting established systems. India’s communications ministry has pointed out that the designations of “qualified parties” are unclear.
25 countries suspend package deliveries to US over new tariff rules. pic.twitter.com/4x23Qba0Am
— YabaLeftOnline (@yabaleftonline) August 26, 2025Germany’s DHL has observed that stricter checks are now being applied even to exempt items valued under $100, such as documents and gifts, in order to prevent commercial misuse. UPU Chief Masahiko Metoki has urged U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for clarification, emphasising the significant impact of e-commerce delivery.
The suspensions, affecting 1.36 billion packages worth $64.6 billion in 2024, threaten global trade, particularly for platforms like Etsy, which halted US shipping labels for several services. Amid a $7 billion IMF bailout for Pakistan and regional economic strains, the tariff changes could raise U.S. consumer prices by 5%.
