(WDNews) — Several postal services in Europe and India are halting shipments of packages to the United States as new import tariffs take effect later this month.
Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Italy stopped accepting most merchandise bound for the U.S. on Saturday, with France and Austria set to follow Monday and the United Kingdom on Tuesday. India announced it will also suspend deliveries beginning Monday, except for letters, documents, and gift items valued under $100.
The suspensions come ahead of an Aug. 29 deadline when, under a decree signed by President Donald Trump, goods valued under $800 — previously exempt from tariffs — will become subject to import duties. Only letters, books, gifts, and parcels worth less than $100 will remain duty-free.
European postal services say the pause is necessary because of uncertainty over which goods are covered by the new rules and limited time to adjust their systems. Deutsche Post and DHL Parcel Germany said Saturday they will no longer accept parcels from business customers to the U.S. PostNord in Denmark and Sweden, and Italy’s Poste Italiane, made similar announcements.
“In the absence of different instructions from U.S. authorities … Poste Italiane will be forced, like other European postal operators, to temporarily suspend acceptance of all shipments containing goods destined for the United States,” the company said in a statement.
India’s communications ministry explained that U.S. rules require carriers or “qualified parties” to collect and remit tariffs, but that critical processes remain undefined. Air carriers in India told officials they could not accept U.S. consignments beyond Aug. 25 because of a lack of readiness.
France’s La Poste criticized U.S. officials for not providing enough time to update customs procedures, while the U.K.’s Royal Mail said it would halt shipments Tuesday “to allow time for packages to arrive before duties kick in.”
PostEurop, representing 51 European postal operators, warned that if no solution is reached, all of its members may suspend shipments by Aug. 29.
