Trump's closure of the de minimis tariff loophole sent postal traffic to the U.S. to a 'near-halt'

"Postal traffic into the United States plunged by more than 80% after the Trump administration ended a tariff exemption for low-cost imports, the United Nations postal agency said Saturday. The Universal Postal Union says it has started rolling out new measures that can help postal operators around the world calculate and collect duties, or taxes, after the U.S. eliminated the so-called "de minimis exemption" for lower-value parcels."

"The UPU said information exchanged between postal operators through its electronic network showed traffic from its 192 member countries - nearly all the world countries - had fallen 81% on Aug. 29, compared to a week earlier. The Bern, Switzerland-based agency said the "major operational disruptions" have occurred because airlines and other carriers indicated they weren't willing or able to collect such duties, and foreign postal operators had not established a link to CBP-qualified companies."

Ending the de minimis exemption for low-value imports shifted customs duty collection responsibility to carriers or CBP-approved parties, prompting major disruptions. The Universal Postal Union began rolling out tools to help postal operators calculate and collect duties. Eighty-eight postal operators reported suspending some or all services to the United States for parcels valued at $800 or less. Electronic-network data from 192 UPU members showed postal traffic to the U.S. fell 81% on Aug. 29, 2025, compared to a week earlier. Airlines and other carriers refused or were unable to collect duties, and many foreign postal operators lacked links to CBP-qualified companies. The exemption existed since 1938; the administration says it enabled tariff evasion and illicit imports.

Read at Fortune