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Royal Mail and DHL have suspended or restricted certain postal services to the United States ahead of new US customs rules that come into force on 29 August.
The move follows an executive order by the US government that removes the current $800 (£594) “de minimis” threshold, under which most low-value goods have been exempt from duties.
From later this month, almost all goods entering the US will be subject to customs tariffs, affecting both private and commercial senders.
Royal Mail said it would suspend its existing US export services from today (26 August), with a new postal delivery duties paid (PDDP) service launching on 28 August.
The company said its new service would simplify customs clearance by calculating and paying duties to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on behalf of customers, who will then be invoiced.
The company will add a 50p handling fee per parcel, while individual postage prices will remain unchanged.
Meanwhile, DHL’s German division has announced it will stop accepting parcels containing goods from business customers for delivery to the US after 22 August.
It cited “unresolved questions” around the new requirements, including how duties will be collected and what data must be transmitted to US customs.
The changes will not affect shipments of documents or letters, and private gift parcels valued under $100 can still be sent, though DHL warned these would face increased scrutiny.
DHL Express services, which use commercial customs clearance, will continue, though goods from the European Union will now face a 15% tariff, the company said.
Additionally, postal operators across Europe are facing similar challenges, with the trade body PostEurop confirming that national postal companies may need to suspend or limit US-bound deliveries.
The executive order applies to all imports into the US and Puerto Rico.
Royal Mail said: “We are working closely with the US authorities and international partners to manage the impact of these changes which will affect everyone who sends goods to the USA.”
Deutsche Post and DHL Parcel Germany added: “The reason for these likely temporary restrictions is new processes required by US authorities for postal shipping, which differ from the previously applicable regulations.”
