Multiple European postal services, including Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Italy, have suspended most package shipments to the United States, effective immediately, with France, Austria, and the United Kingdom to follow this week. 

This decision stems from a lack of clarity over new US import duties and the inability to guarantee goods will enter the US before August 29. A decree signed by President Donald Trump last month subjects previously exempt international goods to tariffs, with a US-EU trade framework setting a 15% tariff on most EU products.

Concurrently, India's Department of Posts has also temporarily suspended most US-bound postal articles from August 25. This follows the US withdrawal of the duty-free de minimis exemption for goods up to $800, meaning all international postal items will face customs duties from August 29. Both European and Indian services cite ambiguity and the absence of fully implemented US systems to process these new rules. Letters, documents, and gift items valued under $100 remain exempt from these suspensions. This move highlights immediate fallout from Washington’s new trade measures, expected to disrupt global e-commerce.