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DHL Halts Handling Postal Goods to US Customers

[ August 29, 2025   //   Gary Burrows ]

Deutsche Post and DHL Parcel Germany are no longer accepting and transporting parcels and postal items containing goods from business customers destined for the U.S., due to a Trump executive order suspending duty-free de minimis shipments.

With the executive order “Suspending Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for all Countries,” Deutsche Post and DHL Parcel Germany implemented its temporary policy, effective Aug. 22

The reason for these anticipated temporary restrictions is new processes required by U.S. authorities for postal shipping, which differ from the previously applicable regulations, the integrator giants said. Key questions remain unresolved, particularly regarding how and by whom customs duties will be collected in the future, what additional data will be required, and how the data transmission to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will be carried out.

Parcels and packages from individuals to individuals with a value of up to US$100, which are declared as ‘gift,’ are not affected by the executive order. However, these shipments will be subject to even stricter controls than before to prevent the misuse of private gift shipments for sending commercial goods. There are also no changes for the shipping of documents in letters.

Additionally, goods shipping via DHL Express and the commercial import of goods into the U.S. under the currently applicable customs rates will still be possible. These rates also apply to private customer packages with a value over US$100.

These changes affect all postal and parcel service providers worldwide, many of whom have already announced a suspension of postal shipping to the U.S. The Association of European Postal Services – PostEurop – has also communicated that its member companies will need to temporarily restrict or suspend the shipping of goods through postal networks to the U.S. in accordance with the relevant national authorities.

Postal and commercial customs clearance are handled differently. National postal companies handle transport and import of postal shipments in special agreements with customs authorities and the U.S. Postal Service. The postal customs clearance process is generally simpler and more cost-effective. The basis for postal customs clearance is the Universal Postal Convention. This method of importing shipments is no longer available for commercial shipments and any shipments with a value over US$100 for now.

Commercial customs clearance, as offered by DHL Express, remains available to customers. However, the previous de minimis threshold of US$800 is also being eliminated here. All commercially cleared shipments, including those with a value under US$100, are subject to customs clearance.

For goods from Germany respectively the European Union, the customs rate is expected to be 15 percent of the goods’ value – some product categories may be subject to higher duties. This type of customs clearance primarily affects commercial goods traffic and is often carried out by specialized customs agents or brokers. Commercial shipments are subject to stricter requirements, particularly regarding the description, classification, and proof of value of the goods, as well as other controls.

DHL serves as customs agent in the U.S. for the declaration of goods when shipping with DHL Express. Payment of applicable duties are made according to the Incoterm (International Commercial Terms) agreed upon between the sender and the recipient, which specifies who is responsible for the costs and risks during the transportation of goods – and who is responsible for customs clearance.

Until the executive order takes effect, DHL said the current regulation still applies for shipments from the European Union, allowing goods with a low value (up to US$800) to be imported into the U.S. without customs duties. Now, all imports, except purely private shipments of gifts with a value under US$100, will be subject to customs duties as of Aug. 29. These regulations apply to the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

DHL is closely monitoring the further developments and is in contact with U.S. authorities, together with its European partners. The company’s goal is to resume postal goods shipping to the U.S. as quickly as possible.

Tags: Deutsche Post DHL Group, DHL Express, US Customs and Border Protection