Overview

• The Universal Postal Union reports roughly an 80% drop in international postal deliveries to the United States since the Aug. 29 rule change, including an 81% single‑day fall on Aug. 29 versus the prior week.
• Eighty-eight national postal operators have notified the UPU that they fully or partially suspended U.S.-bound services until a duty-collection process is in place.
• Traffic collapsed after new rules made transportation carriers or CBP‑approved intermediaries responsible for collecting and remitting duties on low‑value parcels.
• Airlines and freight handlers have been unwilling or unable to assume that role, leaving foreign posts without connections to authorized parties.
• The shift follows President Trump’s July 30 executive order ending duty‑free treatment for packages under $800, with reported tariff rates of about 10% to 50% and separate U.S. exemptions for gifts up to $100 and souvenirs up to $200.