Postal Traffic to U.S. Sank 80% After Exemption for Low-Value Parcels Ends

Postal traffic into the United States plunged by more than 80% after the Trump administration ended a tariff exemption for low-cost imports, the United Nations postal agency said, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

Eighty-eight postal operators have told the UPU they have suspended some or all services to the U.S. until a solution is found for U.S.-bound parcels valued at $800 or less.

The Universal Postal Union (UPU) said it has begun rolling out new measures to help postal operators worldwide calculate and collect duties and taxes, after the U.S. eliminated the so-called “de minimis exemption” for lower-value parcels.

Eighty-eight postal operators have told the UPU they have suspended some or all services to the U.S. until a solution is found for U.S.-bound parcels valued at $800 or less, which had previously been exempt from customs charges.

“The global network saw postal traffic to the U.S. come to a near halt after the implementation of the new rules on Aug. 29, 2025, which for the first time placed the burden of customs duty collection and remittance on transportation carriers or U.S. Customs and Border Protection–approved qualified parties,” the UPU said in a statement.

The agency added that data exchanged between postal operators through its electronic network showed traffic from its 192 member countries—nearly all the world’s nations—had fallen 81% on Aug. 29 compared with a week earlier.