Ahead of the end of a US customs exemption, some major postal service in Europe are suspending shipments to the US, or charging a large fee for it.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/34824534

  • Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium will halt parcel shipments to the US starting August 23.
  • The operators lack mechanisms to manage the payment of duties without the de minimis exemption.
  • Etsy suspended US-bound shipping labels with operators that cannot support prepaid duties.

If you have been eyeing something from overseas, you may want to click “buy now” today.

Postal services operated by Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium — Posten Bring, PostNord, and bpost — said they will suspend parcel shipments to the US ahead of the end of a customs exemption that allows low-value packages to enter the country duty-free.

The conundrum facing postal operators comes as the Trump administration prepares to suspend the “de minimis” exemption starting on August 29. The exemption used to allow international shipments under $800 to cross the border with minimal paperwork and no duties.

Now, these shipments will face tariffs, and not every operator can handle the customs declaration paperwork, have a payment mechanism in place, or be responsible for returns should a receiver refuse to pay tariffs. It’s unclear when the temporary freeze on shipments will resume.

“Due to the short timeframe to adapt to the new specific requirements, PostNord will temporarily halt shipments to the United States and Puerto Rico until a compliant solution has been developed and implemented,” wrote the operator owned by the Swedish and Danish governments in a statement on Wednesday.

Separately, Posten Bring, Norway’s primary postal provider operated by the government, said in a statement that postal services have not been given clear instructions and solutions on how the duties will be paid or who would be responsible for returns. Therefore, Posten Bring sees suspension as the “only option.”

All three European postal services will suspend shipments starting August 23, which applies to all packages other than letters. This means that if you have a pending purchase that is not shipped by the deadline, your seller may need to cancel your order or arrange alternatives.