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Multiple countries stop sending packages to the United States before the suspension of 'small exemption'

Multiple countries stop sending packages to the United States before the suspension of 'small exemption'

News2025-08-25

On the eve of the suspension of the US small parcel tariff exemption policy, multiple countries have suspended sending packages to the United States. Postal companies from various countries have expressed that the current unclear US customs policies have had a "significant impact" on global logistics. Experts interviewed by Global Times believe that the US government's cancellation of "small exemptions" is only a small account, not a big one. In the short term, American consumers will be impacted, and in the long run, the imposition of tariffs will push up US inflation and further affect the US economy.

Multiple countries suspend sending packages to the United States
Starting from August 29th, the United States will temporarily suspend tariff exemptions for small packages, and multiple global postal services have announced the suspension of shipping packages to the United States. According to US media, this not only brings chaos to global logistics transportation, but also means that American consumers will not be able to receive their packages in a timely manner, and may even have to bear tariffs of $80 or higher.

According to a report by The Washington Post on the 23rd, postal operators in more than ten European countries, including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Belgium, have announced that they will temporarily suspend some parcel delivery services to the United States until they clarify how to respond to US tariff policies. According to the German newspaper S ü ddeutsche Zeitung, starting from the 22nd, Deutsche Post and DHL will no longer accept packages sent by commercial customers to the United States. Only private gift packages with a value not exceeding $100 can be shipped to the United States. Belgian Post has suspended shipping packages containing goods to the United States since last Saturday. France Post also announced in a statement that it will temporarily suspend sending packages to the United States starting from the 25th, except for private gift packages worth less than 100 euros.

In Asia, the Indian postal department has decided to suspend parcel services to the United States starting from the 25th, except for letters, documents, and gifts worth no more than $100. South Korea Post announced that it will cease receiving air parcels to the United States and suspend some express delivery services. Singapore Post will also suspend related services starting from August 25th. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Australia Post has suspended some of its US freight services.

The European Association of Public Postal Operators (PostEurop), representing 53 European postal agencies, stated that with only a few days left until the new US policy takes effect, there are still many unresolved issues. In a statement, PostEurop stated that "there is still a lack of clear information on key issues related to tariff collection and how to collaborate with U.S. Customs and Border Protection

A trade protectionism practice
According to The Washington Post, the term 'small exemption' originates from Latin and means' insignificant things'. In the 1930s, the US Congress passed a bill to exempt small packages from tariffs. In 1993, the US government adjusted the tariff threshold to $200, and during the Obama administration in 2016, the threshold was raised to $800. The US government terminated the "small exemption" policy for mainland China and Hong Kong in May this year, and announced in July that it would be extended to all countries from August 29th, which means that most small packages sent to the US will be subject to tariffs.

Huo Jianguo, Vice President of the China World Trade Organization Research Association, told Global Times reporters on the 24th that as an important trade facilitation measure, "small exemptions" have been in operation in the United States for nearly a century, promoting the vigorous development of e-commerce and saving American consumers a lot of living costs. The cancellation of this policy by the US government and the imposition of comprehensive tariffs are ultimately a form of trade protectionism.

Only small accounts, not big accounts
According to data from the US Customs and Border Protection, the number and total value of "small exemption" packages shipped to the United States have significantly increased over the past decade. The number of "small exemption" packages entering the United States in 2015 was approximately 139 million, increasing to over 1.36 billion by 2024. Huo Jianguo said that the explosive growth of "small exemption" packages reflects the rapid rise of e-commerce, with a large number of packages directly delivered to American consumers through e-commerce platforms, allowing them to enjoy the dividends of global manufacturing development.

According to a paper published by scholars from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) in the United States, 73% of cross-border direct mail consumption in the poorest areas of the country belongs to "small exemptions," saving consumers approximately $11 billion to $13 billion annually. The spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce, He Yongqian, once stated that cross-border e-commerce has unique advantages such as high efficiency, fast delivery, and low costs. It is an important trend in the innovative development of international trade and has become an indispensable way of life for people. The destructive adjustment of tariffs on small packages by the United States will seriously affect the interests of American consumers.

Huo Jianguo told reporters that the Trump administration's imposition of tariffs is only a small account, not a big one. He analyzed that imposing tariffs on small packages may increase fiscal revenue in the short term and alleviate debt pressure. However, this approach not only increases the cost of living for the public, affects consumer confidence, and disrupts global supply chain cooperation, but also drives up inflation, which in the long run affects the overall performance of the US economy.

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Multiple countries stop sending packages to the United States before the suspension of 'small exemption'