Royal Mail has temporarily stopped accepting parcels bound for the United States after President Donald Trump’s administration scrapped a rule that had allowed low-value packages to enter duty-free.
From Friday, all packages valued at $800 (£600) or under will face tariffs, ending the so-called “de minimis” exemption. The move means commercial shippers sending low-value goods will now pay the same duty rates as higher-value items.
- UK-origin goods will face a 10% tariff
- EU goods will be subject to a 15% levy
- Gifts worth under $100 (£75), cards, and letters remain exempt
Royal Mail said the suspension, which came into effect on Tuesday, was necessary to ensure parcels already in transit arrive before duties are applied.
The company will launch a new “US Postal Delivered Duties Paid” service from Thursday. While base postage pricing will remain unchanged, Royal Mail will add a 50p per parcel handling fee to cover new US clearance costs.
A spokesperson told UKNIP
“We have been working hard with US authorities and international partners to adapt our services to meet the new US de minimis requirements so UK consumers and businesses can continue to use our services when they come into effect.
Consumers sending gifts worth less than $100 will not have to pay duty.”
The changes are expected to hit UK e-commerce exporters particularly hard, with an estimated 1.4 billion packages having entered the US last year under the de minimis threshold.
Other global postal services, including Deutsche Post (DHL), Australia Post, India Post, and SingPost, have also announced pauses or restrictions on parcels to the US as they adapt to the new tariffs.
DHL said it would “no longer be able to accept and transport parcels and postal items containing goods from business customers” to the US until there is clarity on who must pay the tariffs and how customs data will be processed.
Royal Mail described the suspension as “disappointing but necessary” while a permanent system is put in place.
