European postal providers pause U.S. deliveries amid tariff confusion

[ad_1] ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The top of an exemption on tariff duties for low-value packages coming into america is inflicting a number of worldwide postal providers to pause transport as they await extra readability on the rule.

The exemption, often called the “de minimis" exemption, permits packages price lower than $800 to return into the U.S. responsibility free. A complete of 1.36 billion packages had been despatched in 2024 below this exemption, for items price $64.6 billion, in keeping with knowledge from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Company.

It's set to run out on Friday. On Saturday, postal providers round Europe introduced that they're suspending the cargo of many packages to america amid confusion over new import duties.

Postal providers in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Italy mentioned they'll cease transport most merchandise to the U.S. efficient instantly. France and Austria will observe on Monday.

The U.Ok.'s Royal Mail mentioned it will halt shipments to the U.S. on Tuesday to permit time for these packages to reach earlier than duties kick in. Gadgets originating in the UK price over $100 — together with presents to family and friends — will incur a ten% responsibility, it mentioned.

“Key questions stay unresolved, notably relating to how and by whom customs duties will likely be collected sooner or later, what further knowledge will likely be required, and the way the info transmission to the U.S. Customs and Border Safety will likely be carried out,” DHL, the biggest transport supplier in Europe, mentioned in an announcement.

The corporate mentioned beginning Saturday it “will now not have the ability to settle for and transport parcels and postal gadgets containing items from enterprise prospects destined for the US.”

A commerce framework agreed on by the U.S. and the European Union final month set a 15% tariff on the overwhelming majority of merchandise shipped from the EU. Packages below $800 will now even be topic to the tariff.

The U.S. duty-free exemption for items originating from China led to Could as a part of the Trump administration's efforts to curb American customers from ordering low-value Chinese language items. The exemption is being prolonged to shipments from world wide.

Many European postal providers say they're pausing deliveries now as a result of they can't assure the products will enter the U.S. earlier than Aug. 29. They cite ambiguity about what sort of items are coated by the brand new guidelines, and the dearth of time to course of their implications.

Postnord, the Nordic logistics firm, and Italy's postal service introduced comparable suspensions efficient Saturday.

“Within the absence of various directions from US authorities ... Poste Italiane will likely be compelled, like different European postal operators, to briefly droop acceptance of all shipments containing items destined for america, beginning August 23. Mail shipments not containing merchandise will proceed to be accepted,” Poste Italiane mentioned Friday.

Delivery by providers equivalent to DHL Categorical stays potential, it added.

Björn Bergman, head of PostNord’s Group Model and Communication, mentioned the pause was “unlucky however obligatory to make sure full compliance of the newly carried out guidelines.”

Within the Netherlands, PostNL spokesperson Wout Witteveen mentioned the Trump administration is urgent forward with the brand new duties regardless of U.S. authorities missing a system to gather them. He mentioned that PostNL is working carefully with its U.S. counterparts to discover a resolution.

"You probably have one thing to ship to America, it is best to do it at this time,” Witteveen informed The Related Press.

Austrian Submit, Austria’s main logistics and postal service supplier, acknowledged that the final acceptance of economic shipments to the U.S., together with Puerto Rico, will happen Tuesday.

France's nationwide postal service, La Poste, mentioned the U.S. didn't present full particulars or permit sufficient time for the French postal service to organize for brand spanking new customs procedures.

Regardless of discussions with U.S. customs providers, no time was offered to postal operators to re-organize and guarantee the mandatory laptop updates to adapt to the brand new guidelines, it mentioned in an announcement.

PostEurop, an affiliation of 51 European public postal operators, mentioned that if no resolution may be discovered by Aug. 29 all its members will possible observe swimsuit.

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Anderson reported from New York. Related Press writers Angela Charlton in Paris; Costas Kantouris in Thessaloniki, Greece; Stephanie Lichtenstein in Vienna; Brian Melley in London and Molly Quell in Amsterdam contributed to this report.