Several major European postal services have announced they are suspending most package deliveries to the United States due to confusion over upcoming U.S. import tariffs.
Starting Saturday, postal operators in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Italy have halted shipments of merchandise to the U.S. France and Austria will join the suspension on Monday, followed by the United Kingdom on Tuesday.
The move comes in response to a recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which removes a longstanding exemption on import duties for international goods valued under $800. From August 29, most packages entering the U.S. from abroad will face tariffs, with few exceptions—letters, books, gifts, and small items under $100 will still be duty-free.
The U.S. and European Union agreed last month on a framework imposing a 15% tariff on most EU products sent to the U.S.
European postal services say they are suspending deliveries now because they can’t ensure packages will arrive before the new rules take effect. They also cite unclear guidance from U.S. authorities on what items will be affected and say there hasn’t been enough time to adapt their systems.
Deutsche Post and DHL Parcel Germany announced they would stop accepting packages containing goods bound for the U.S. from business customers as of Saturday. PostNord, which handles logistics for Sweden and Denmark, and Italy’s Poste Italiane issued similar announcements.
Poste Italiane said that without clearer instructions from U.S. officials, it had no choice but to stop accepting shipments of goods to the U.S. starting August 23, although standard mail without merchandise will still be accepted. Express services like DHL Express are not affected.
Björn Bergman, spokesperson for PostNord, called the suspension “unfortunate but necessary” to comply with the new U.S. rules.
In the Netherlands, PostNL spokesperson Wout Witteveen said the U.S. is implementing the tariffs despite lacking the systems to enforce them. He advised people to ship packages immediately if they want them to arrive before August 29.
Austrian Post said it will accept commercial shipments to the U.S., including Puerto Rico, only until Tuesday.
France’s La Poste criticized the U.S. for failing to give postal operators sufficient information or time to adjust to the new customs requirements.
“Despite discussions with U.S. customs, there was no opportunity to make the necessary updates to our systems,” the company said.
The UK’s Royal Mail also plans to suspend shipments on Tuesday, saying the delay is intended to ensure deliveries reach the U.S. before the tariffs begin. It added that a 10% duty will apply to UK-origin items over $100.
PostEurop, the association representing 51 public postal operators across Europe, warned that if no resolution is found by August 29, more countries may join the suspension.