European Postal Services Halt US Shipments Amidst New Trump Tariffs
A wave of European postal services are suspending deliveries to the United States as a new 15% tariff on moast EU goods looms, set to take effect August 29th. The disruption stems from uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the tariffs and a lack of clarity from US authorities regarding which goods are subject to the new duties.
Deutsche Post and DHL Parcel Germany have already announced they will cease accepting and transporting parcels from business customers destined for the US, starting Saturday. Similar suspensions are being implemented by Postnord, the Nordic logistics company, and Italy’s Poste Italiane, also effective Saturday. Poste Italiane clarified that while goods shipments are paused, standard mail without merchandise will continue to be accepted.
The core issue is a lack of operational readiness. While express shipping services like DHL Express remain operational, standard postal routes are facing important hurdles. Björn Bergman, head of PostNord’s Group Brand and Dialog, described the pause as “unfortunate but necessary” to ensure compliance with the new regulations.
The situation is further intricate by the fact that the US government currently lacks a system for collecting the imposed tariffs. PostNL in the Netherlands reports the Trump management is proceeding with the duties despite this deficiency, and is actively seeking a solution with US counterparts. A spokesperson urged customers to ship items to the US immediately if possible.
The problem extends beyond Europe. India’s communications ministry highlighted that the executive order requiring tariff collection lacks defined processes for designating “qualified parties” and establishing mechanisms for duty remittance. as a result, US-bound air carriers are unable to except postal consignments after August 25th, citing a lack of technical and operational preparedness.
Austria’s Austrian Post announced tuesday as the final day for accepting commercial shipments to the US, including Puerto Rico. France’s La Poste cited insufficient detail and preparation time from US customs services as the reason for their difficulties. the UK’s Royal Mail will halt shipments on Tuesday to allow packages to arrive before the tariffs take effect, with items over $100 originating in the UK facing a 10% duty.
PostEurop, representing 51 European public postal operators, warned that if a resolution isn’t reached by August 29th, all its members are likely to follow suit, potentially causing widespread disruption to international trade.
