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Global mail carriers suspend US shipments before ‘de minimis’ ends

Updated Aug 24, 2025, 5:34pm EDT
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Cargo ship at Oakland port
Carlos Barria/Reuters

Global mail carriers suspended parcel deliveries to the US in the face of uncertainty over new duties on low-cost packages.

US President Donald Trump last month ordered the end of the “de minimis” provision, which allowed goods valued under $800 to enter the US duty-free.

The loophole was closed for China and Hong Kong in May, and is set to go worldwide Friday, sparking concern over a lack of information over how it will be enforced.

International postal carriers from Germany to New Zealand to South Korea have halted most US-bound packages.

The demise of de minimis compounds the challenges facing US importers; many businesses have so far resisted raising prices, and aren’t keen to do so this holiday season, Supply Chain Dive wrote.

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