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<\/p>\n Email Link<\/p>\n \n International postal services are suspending shipments to the United States after an exemption on tariff duties for small packages is set to expire. It\u2019s the latest example of how President Donald Trump\u2019s sweeping trade policy is impacting US consumers and businesses.\n <\/p>\n \n Beginning Friday, the \u201cde minimis\u201d exemption, which allowed shipments of goods worth $800 or less to enter the United States duty free, will be eliminated.\n <\/p>\n \n It\u2019s another blow<\/a> to the exemption that provided a loophole for e-commerce giants: In May, the Trump administration suspended the rule on packages coming from China<\/a> and Hong Kong. Those high duties, which were reduced<\/a> from 120% to 54%, especially hurt low-cost sellers like Shein and Temu.\n <\/p>\n \n European and Asian postal services have taken matters into their own hands by announcing plans to halt shipments as early as Monday. Singapore\u2019s SingPost<\/a> and India\u2019s Department of Posts<\/a> said they will also temporarily suspend some shipments to the United States.\n <\/p>\n \n International postal service DHL said August 25 will be the last day it accepts shipments to the United States, joining European peers in halting shipments<\/a>, including the Austrian Post, which will stop accepting shipments to the United States on August 26.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThere is currently insufficient information available on the customs clearance procedures that will be required in the future. This tightening of regulations poses major challenges for all postal companies worldwide when shipping goods to the USA,\u201d the Austrian Post said<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n \n The change is expected to affect discount sellers, like Amazon Haul and TikTok Shop, as well as online marketplaces Etsy and Shopify, all of which have connected US consumers to businesses worldwide.\n <\/p>\n \n US Customs and Border Protection estimated<\/a> that more than 1.36 billion de minimis shipments entered the country last fiscal year. The agency processes more than 4 million de minimis shipments each day.\n <\/p>\n \n According to the latest executive order<\/a>, businesses may face an $80 per item charge for a country with a tariff rate less than 16%, or costs as high as $160 per item for a country with a tariff rate of between 16% and 25%, and $200 per item for a country with a tariff rate above 25%. On August 7, the US imposed new tariff rates<\/a> on many trading partners, with Brazil facing the highest tariff rate, at 50%.\n <\/p>\n \n Abbott Atelier Jewelry, a Vancouver, Canada-based business, warned customers in an Instagram post that it would \u201cpause shopping for a little while as we look for a solution\u201d and August 25 would be the \u201ccut off date to bring orders across the border.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Some businesses are passing the additional tariff costs on to shoppers.\n <\/p>\n
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