WASHINGTON, 10 Sept. - (ANA) - Shipments to the U.S. fell sharply after the Trump administration pulled the plug on a trade exemption for low-value packages. 

 

The Trump administration implemented the rule change on Friday, Aug. 29 — and, that same day, U.S.-bound shipments fell 81% compared to the previous Friday, according to the Universal Postal Union, a United Nations’ specialized agency focused on postal service.

 

The de minimis exemption allowed imported goods valued less than $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free. As of now, all imported goods, regardless of value (minus a few remaining exemptions like for letters and some gifts) are subject to fees, like tariffs, and other trade regulations. 

 

The Trump administration said the rule had allowed shipments that included counterfeits, narcotics, and “other illicit goods” to enter the United States. President Donald Trump had called the rule a “big scam.” 

 

The UPU said in a statement Friday that shipments from participating member countries fell drastically due to the rule change that it said “placed the burden” of customs duty collection and remittance on carriers and other U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency-approved transporters. The United Nations’ agency added that carriers “signalled they were unwilling or unable to bear this responsibility” while postal operators didn’t have a link yet to the “list of CBP qualified parties.” 

 

Nearly 90 postal operators told the UPU they were suspending some or all services to the U.S. until a solution is found.

 

Swiss Post, Japan Post, and India’s postal service, among others, had publicly said they were suspending U.S.-bound shipments after the rule change. 

 

In an attempt to get shipments up and running again, the UPU introduced the Delivered Duty Paid (DDP), which is a calculator to aid postal operators in determining duties for customers based on their origin so they can implement it into their retail and counter solutions. 

 

The UPU said that its DDP program will soon be rolled out into its Customs Declaration System, adding that 176 postal operators already use this system.  - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/10 September 2025 - - -