A number of European postal services have suspended parcel shipments to the US just days before new tariffs come into effect. US President Donald Trump last month signed an executive order ending a long-standing tax exemption that allowed small parcels valued under $800 to enter the US duty-free.

This exemption, known as the de minimis threshold, has been advantageous for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Europe, enabling them to export low-value goods to the United States without incurring additional duties.

Official confirmation of the rule change only came on 15 August, leaving operators scant time to adjust. According to US Customs, more than 1.3bn parcels worth over $64bn were sent under the de minimis exemption last year.

From 29 August, those goods will face a 15 per cent tariff, the same rate that applies to most other imports from the EU.

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Not affected: letters or gift items worth up to $100 dollars.

Gifts worth $100 or less still exempt

In a joint press release, Deutsche Post and its owner DHL said they could no longer accept or transport parcels and postal items containing goods from business customers destined for the US. They added that packages containing only gifts between individuals, valued up to $100 and clearly declared as “gift”, as well as documents, can continue to be sent as usual.

Services temporarily suspending shipments include France’s La Poste, the UK’s Royal Mail, and Spain’s Correos.

The suspension underscores the significant challenges faced by European postal operators in adapting quickly to changes in international trade regulations, particularly in the absence of clear guidance on tariff and related data collection.

Should these tariff measures remain without sufficient clarity or practical implementation strategies, small businesses reliant on this exemption may experience increased costs and considerable disruption to their export operations.

The suspension will remain in place until the obligations around duty collection and data transmission are clarified and reliable processes can be implemented. DHL said on Friday it hoped to resume postal goods shipping to the US “as quickly as possible”.