Postal traffic to US drops more than 80% after trade exemption rule ends, UN agency says

Postal visitors to the U.S. has fallen considerably after the Trump administration suspended a commerce exemption rule in late August, in accordance with a world postal union.

The U.N.’s Common Postal Union (UPU) stated the worldwide postal community noticed postal visitors enroute to the U.S. “come to a close to halt” after Aug. 29, 2025, when the “de minimis” commerce exemption that allowed small packages value lower than $800 to be exempt from tariffs ended. Knowledge between postal operators reveals that visitors dropped 81% on Aug. 29 in comparison with every week earlier, the union stated. The UPU additionally stated it’s engaged on methods to get visitors flowing again to the nation.

“The UPU has in its mission the accountability to ensure the free circulation of postal objects over a single postal territory. We’re working to uphold that accountability with the speedy growth of a brand new technical answer that may assist get mail shifting to the USA once more,” UPU Director Normal Masahiko Metoki stated in a press release.

NPR reached out to the White Home for touch upon Sunday however has not obtained a response.

On July 30 this yr, President Donald Trump signed an govt order that will droop the de minimis rule for all U.S. imports, with all merchandise coming into the U.S. being tacked with duties and tariffs in accordance with their nation of origin. The Trump administration has defended the transfer as a strategy to crack down on prison exercise, comparable to counterfeit merchandise and fentanyl, from coming into the nation, in addition to serving to to decrease the commerce deficit.

“For too lengthy, this loophole handed prison networks a free go to flood America with fentanyl, faux items, and unlawful shipments. These days are over. We’re securing the border, restoring equity to commerce, and defending American households,” U.S. Customs and Border Safety Commissioner Rodney Scott stated in a press release late final month.

At the least 88 postal operators have suspended some or all companies to the USA till there’s a answer, the union stated.