STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -Swedish and Norwegian postal groups PostNord and Posten Bring are pausing shipments to the United States ahead of the scrapping of a U.S. customs tax loophole that allows duty-
Nordic and Belgian Postal Services Halt US Shipments Amid Tariff Changes
Impact of Tariff Changes on Postal Services
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -Norwegian, Swedish-Danish and Belgian postal groups Posten Bring, PostNord and bpost are pausing parcel shipments to the United States ahead of the scrapping of a U.S. customs tax loophole that allows duty-free entry for low-value packages, they said on Wednesday.
Overview of the Suspension
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration said last month it would suspend the global "de minimis" exemption, which also allows minimal paperwork, for international shipments under $800 effective August 29.
Details on the 'De Minimis' Exemption
"Due to the short timeframe to adapt to the new requirements, PostNord is temporarily halting shipments," the company owned by the Swedish and Danish governments said in a statement.
Responses from Postal Companies
The twists and turns in Trump's tariff policies have roiled global financial markets.
Under the executive order suspending the "de minimis" exemption, low-value packages sent to the U.S. will face "all applicable duties," according to the White House.
"The details surrounding this have not yet been clarified by the U.S. customs authorities, and no system solutions have been developed that postal companies can use," Norway's state-owned Posten Bring said in a separate statement.
It said postal companies in Europe were working together to gain clarity.
Bpost said in its statement that the pause would only affect shipments containing goods, not letters without goods.
(Reporting by Anna Ringstrom, Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Terje Solsvik, Alex Richardson and Andrea Ricci)
