European postal operators have suspended shipments of packages to the United States following the end of the “de minimis” exemption, which previously allowed goods under $800 to enter duty-free. Starting August 23, postal services in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, and later France, Austria, and the UK announced halts to most merchandise shipments amid uncertainty over new tariffs and customs processes. The policy change, driven by U.S. trade reforms under the Trump administration, extends a 15% tariff to nearly all products shipped from the EU, leaving postal operators scrambling for clarity.

DHL, Europe’s largest shipping provider, said it could no longer accept parcels containing goods from business customers destined for the U.S., citing unresolved questions about who will collect duties, what additional data is required, and how data should be transmitted to U.S. Customs. Italy’s Poste Italiane, France’s La Poste, Austria’s Post, and PostNord in Scandinavia each issued similar suspensions, emphasizing that the abrupt change left them no time to adjust systems and workflows. Smaller mail items not containing goods are still being accepted, but packages with merchandise remain on hold.

Industry leaders warn that the disruption affects both small businesses and consumers who rely on cross-border e-commerce. With the U.S. duty-free threshold now eliminated for all countries, postal services are urging shippers to use express couriers where possible or delay shipments until new customs procedures are clarified. PostEurop, representing 51 European postal operators, has said that without a solution by August 29, suspensions could spread across the continent.