๐จ Major Customs Shake-Up: U.S. Ends De Minimis Exemption โ Chaos Hits European Carriers
Just days before a historic customs change takes effect in the United States, European postal services and carriers have suspended parcel deliveries to the U.S..
The move comes as the U.S. ends the century-old de minimis exemption, which previously allowed foreign shipments valued at up to $800 to enter duty-free and without detailed customs checks.
The new rule, signed under an executive order by Donald Trump, takes effect this Friday and will impact all countries, not just China.
๐ฆ Chaos Among Carriers: Major Suspensions
Several major European postal services have already announced halts to U.S. shipments:
๐น DHL โ stopped accepting parcels bound for the U.S. (only the costlier DHL Express option remains).
๐น Correos (Spain) โ admitted it only received compliance requirements from U.S. authorities on August 15, leaving no time to adjust.
๐น La Poste (France) โ suspended shipments starting Monday.
๐น Posti (Finland) โ halted shipments last Saturday, citing airlines refusing to carry U.S.-bound mail.
Other countries including Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Switzerland quickly followed suit.
โ ๏ธ Tech & Bureaucracy: The Real Roadblock
The challenge isnโt just customs paperwork โ itโs technology.
Postal systems are not built to:
Send detailed data on each shipment to U.S. authorities.
Collect duties directly from recipients.
Even worse, no one knows who should collect customs duties โ postal operators, private couriers, or U.S. customs.
๐ฉโ๐ผ Impact on Small Businesses & E-Shops
The hardest hit? Small European businesses selling directly to U.S. customers.
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Large corporations with warehouses and logistics hubs in the U.S. will barely feel the impact โ they already pay duties on bulk imports.
โ But smaller independent brands and e-shops will lose their ability to export cheaply.
#TRUM #Trad #Logistic #E