WHAT’S THE LATEST

More than 30 international postal agencies have paused or limited shipments to the U.S. ahead of the de minimis exemption ending Aug. 29 at 12:01 a.m. ET.

These agencies are awaiting U.S. regulatory guidance and need time to upgrade systems to calculate and collect new tariffs. Most are still handling letters and small “gift” packages (<$100).

Countries that have suspended, or announced a suspension of, postal service to the U.S. include (as of August 26):

  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina
  • Bulgaria
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Latvia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Malta
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Russia
  • Serbia
  • Singapore
  • Slovenia
  • Slovakia
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Taiwan
  • Thailand
  • United Kingdom

WHAT WE KNOW

On July 30, President Trump signed an Executive Order suspending the de minimis exemption for commercial shipments valued at $800 or less effective August 29 at 12:01 a.m. ET. Under the postal network exception, goods shipped through the postal system will face one of two duty types: 

  • Ad valorem duty: A tariff based on the package’s value, calculated using the tariff rate for the country of origin under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
  • Specific duty: A flat rate of $80 - $200 per item,  also based on the effective IEEPA tariff rate applicable to the country of origin of the product.

NOTE: The specific duty option will be available for six (6) months, after which all applicable shipments must comply with the ad valorem duty methodology.

WHAT'S NEXT?

SEKO continues to send ecommerce freight to the U.S. from a number of locations, including Australia and Singapore, with no delay via our established DDP solution.

Our team is currently working with dozens of retailers to future-proof their international ecommerce programs, while also supporting the launch of U.S.-based 3PL operations. We continue to actively monitor developments day by day, ensuring we have the latest information to guide our clients.

If you have questions, please reach out to your SEKO representative, or email us at  hello@sekologistics.com.