European carriers have been suspending parcel shipments to the US following the US government's previously announced decision to end the de minimis exemption for all countries from 29 August.
DHL Group said on 22 August that Deutsche Post and DHL Parcel Germany would temporarily suspend the acceptance and transport of business customer parcels via the postal network to the US from 23 August.
Shipping via DHL Express remains possible. However, de minimis is also being eliminated here. All commercially cleared shipments, including those with a value under $100, are subject to customs clearance.
For goods from Germany, as part of the European Union, the customs rate is expected to be 15% of the goods' value; some product categories may be subject to higher duties.
There is a lack of clarity around the requirements for postal shipping going forward, noted DHL Group.
"The reason for these likely temporary restrictions is new processes required by U.S. authorities for postal shipping, which differ from the previously applicable regulations," said the Group.
"Key questions remain unresolved, particularly regarding how and by whom customs duties will be collected in the future, what additional data will be required, and how the data transmission to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will be carried out."
In addition to DHL, the Association of European Postal Services - PostEurope - has also communicated that its member companies will need to temporarily restrict or suspend the shipping of goods through postal networks to the US in accordance with the relevant national authorities.
Announced last month, from 29 August the US will suspend the de minimis exemption for low-value imports, under $800, for all countries of origin.
Postal shipments will face $80–$200/item duties for the first six months; afterward, full ad valorem IEEPA tariffs apply based on country of origin, Flexport previously noted.
Low-value goods shipped through means other than the international postal system will be subject to all applicable duties immediately.
De minimis treatment was revoked for Chinese-origin goods on 2 May.
The full impact of the latest changes remains to be seen, but air cargo demand between China and the US fell in the first full week of the end of the de minimis exemption for Chinese e-commerce packages, and new research from consultancy firm Aevean shows e-commerce volumes from China to the US have decreased 16%.
