More postal services pause shipments to U.S. with 'de minimis' loophole set to expire

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News

Aug. 25, 2025, 12:10 PM EDT


Postal services in Japan and Switzerland are the latest to pause shipments to the United States this week, days before an exemption for certain import taxes is about to expire.

The loophole, known as “de minimis,” has allowed goods worth less than $800 to enter the United States duty-free since 2016. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month to abolish the practice. It is set to end Friday. The change has rocked small businesses and consumers, leaving many concerned about shipping backlogs and higher costs. Some business owners have said on social media they will be forced to close up shop.

“There is so much uncertainty about how these tariffs are going to be collected,” said Caleb Silver, editor-in-chief of Investopedia. “Who will collect these tariffs? What products, if any, will be exempt from these tariffs? And that just adds more uncertainty into an already very confusing picture around tariffs and how they’re going to impact us here in the United States.”

The change means effective Friday, goods coming into the U.S. from abroad will be slapped with country-specific tariffs. For an $800 item coming in from a country with a tariff rate of 25% or more (like China, Brazil, India, Switzerland or Canada), that could amount to at least $200 in extra costs just to bring the product into the U.S. Under the new rules, letters and personal gifts worth less than $100 will still be duty-free.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/de-minimis-postal-services-pause-us-shipments-rcna226957

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REFERENCES

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143504584
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143517636

[Javaman]

1. A month from now the economy will be even more fucked nt

[popsdenver]

2. Is this also a way

to circumvent the outrageous costs of drugs in the U.S. by going to other countries to obtain them??????????

[popsdenver]

3. Will the tariff be collected by the sender

at the time of purchase, or will it be up to Customs to collect the additional money?

It would be great if the customer ordered it, had it shipped, and then the customer got notice to come pick it up and pay the Tariff at Customs.
THAT would drive home the reality to U.S. Citizens...... WHO TRULY PAYS THE TARIFFS. LOL and of course the Trump Government U.S. Treasury collects all the money from the Tariffs.....Its like a huge added sales tax

[LtTx]

4. European postal services

are currently not shipping to the US. I sew and often buy fabric and other items from small business owners in Canada and Europe. All of them have sent notices that they currently are not shipping to the US until the tariffs are sorted out. Asshole rescinded the de minimis (800$ or less) which is really going to hurt the suppliers outside of the US. The suppliers have no idea of what the excess charges will be at this time.

[mitch96]

5. The way I understand it is when your item from another country get to this country the shipper, like DHL or

FedEx will notify you of its arrival. Along with the notice is a bill you have to pay (the tariff amount) to release the item and have it sent to you..
m

[Avalon Sparks]

7. And also custom broker fees on top of it all

Because one will likely need to be involved in the transaction.

I.e. DHL will include custom broker fees

[mitch96]

9. My last two purchases, one from Japan and one from India did not contain any broker fee that I could see..

The $1000 purchase from Japan just got a US Customs duty fee that DHL collected and then the package was delivered to me...
m

[Avalon Sparks]

10. Interesting

I have seen a few posts online with people complaining about the added broker fees. I don’t know what it is dependent on. Glad u didn’t get hit!

[NickB79]

6. Kiss Temu, Wish and Shein goodbye

[RazorbackExpat]

8. Japan Post announced that it will not accept any parcel valued at $100 or more

that is destined for the US.