At least 25 countries have decided to suspend package deliveries to the United States, creating a massive disruption for online shoppers and e-commerce businesses. This unprecedented situation has led to thousands of canceled orders and major delays in international shipping.
The change will affect roughly 4 million such packages processed each day, highlighting the massive scale of this shipping crisis.
What Caused the Suspension
The change is due to the end of the “de minimis” rule, which made shipments under $800 exempt from duties and tariffs. This rule officially ended on August 29, 2025, forcing postal services worldwide to halt operations while they update their systems.
International postal services are suspending shipments to the United States after an exemption on tariff duties for small packages is set to expire.
Which Countries Are Affected
The suspension spans multiple continents:
Europe: Postal providers in Belgium, Denmark, and New Zealand are among several operators that have already suspended shipments of packages to the U.S. until they can retool their systems to comply with the new rules. Germany, France, and Britain have also joined the list.
Asia-Pacific: Japan, India, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand have also suspended parcel shipments to the U.S. Australia and South Korea are affected.
Americas: Mexico’s postal service announced Thursday it was suspending package deliveries to the US.
Impact on Online Shopping
The suspension has created immediate problems for US consumers:
- Thousands of existing orders have been canceled
- New orders from affected countries cannot be placed
- Delivery times for available shipments have increased significantly
- Consumers will have to start paying duties like tariffs on all online orders of less than $800 shipped directly to their doorstep
What Still Works
Letters and documents are generally unaffected. Also, gifts worth less than $100 (and sent between individuals, not from a company) are exempt and can still be sent.
Business Impact
Trump’s removal of duty-free shipping for low-value packages from overseas will hit small and medium-sized businesses with steep trade war costs. Many e-commerce companies are scrambling to find alternative shipping methods or adjust their pricing models.
Deutsche Post and DHL Parcel Germany will no longer be able to accept and transport parcels and postal items containing goods from business customers destined for the U.S.
Looking Ahead
Postal services are working to update their systems to comply with the new rules, but there’s no clear timeline for when normal service will resume. The national postal services suspending parcel shipments to the U.S. have suggested that they will restore service once they can properly handle the new customs requirements.
This shipping crisis represents one of the biggest disruptions to international e-commerce in recent years, affecting millions of packages and countless online shoppers across America.
