Trump Tariff Policy Disrupts Global Mail as 25 Countries Halt Deliveries to U.S.

The Trump administration’s decision to end a tax exemption on small packages bound for the United States has triggered disruptions in global trade, with 25 countries halting postal deliveries to America.

The exemption, set to be abolished on August 29, had long eased the flow of low-value goods into the U.S. But with its removal, postal agencies worldwide, including in France, Germany, India, and Australia, announced that they would stop accepting most packages destined for American addresses.

The UN’s Universal Postal Union (UPU), which oversees international mail rules, confirmed the scale of the backlash.

In a statement, the UPU said it had already been notified by “postal operators of 25 member countries… that they have suspended their outbound postal services to the US, citing uncertainties specifically related to transit services.

“These suspensions will remain in place pending further information on how US authorities will operationalise (their announced) measures as well as actual implementation of the required operational changes,” the agency added.

The postal freeze underscores the broader ripple effects of Washington’s tariff approach, which is now affecting logistics chains as much as traditional trade channels.

For businesses reliant on small cross-border consignments, the suspension poses immediate challenges, while raising concerns about longer-term disruptions in e-commerce and retail supply.

Punch