Headline Roundup • September 8th, 2025
International Postal Deliveries to US Drop 80% After Trump Admin Ends Tariff Exemption
Summary from the AllSides News Team
International postal deliveries to the US have fallen by 80% since the Trump administration eliminated the “de minimis” exception, which allowed small packages valued under $800 to be exempt from tariffs, according to a UN organization.
The Details: The UN’s Universal Postal Union (UPU) reported that the sharp decline began on August 29 and is now developing a technical solution to help international postal operators collect the required duties. Air carriers did not want to be responsible for collecting them, and 88 postal operators have suspended some or all shipments to the US, according to the UPU. On September 5, the agency launched a calculator to help shippers determine the required duties.
For Context: The Trump administration already ended the exemption for China on April 2, causing disruption for Chinese discount retailers like Shein and Temu. On August 7, new Trump administration tariffs took effect on over 90 countries. On August 27, the administration doubled tariffs on India to 50% due to the country’s continued purchasing of Russian oil.
How The Media Covered It: The story was covered by many mainstream outlets from the left and center, but AllSides did not find coverage from the right.
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Postal traffic to the U.S. has fallen significantly after the Trump administration suspended a trade exemption rule in late August, according to a global postal union.
The U.N.'s Universal Postal Union (UPU) said the global postal network saw postal traffic enroute to the U.S. "come to a near halt" after Aug. 29, 2025, when the "de minimis" trade exemption that allowed small packages worth less than $800 to be exempt from tariffs ended. Data between postal operators shows that traffic dropped 81% on Aug. 29 compared to a week earlier,...
Postal traffic to the United States has plunged by about 81 percent following the end of the duty-free de minimis exemption for low-value packages to the US, according to a press release issued by the Universal Postal Union (UPU), the United Nations specialized agency for global postal cooperation.
The UPU has begun rolling out a technical solution to help postal players resume deliveries in light of the change that took place on Aug. 29, the release said.
A UPU spokesperson told Newsweek they had no further comment when reached by email Saturday, and referred any additional questions...
Postal deliveries from around the world to the United States have plummeted by 80 percent since President Trump lifted the “de minimis” exception that allowed small packages worth less than $800 to be exempt from tariffs, a United Nations body has found.
The Universal Postal Union (UPU), a U.N. agency that works on global postal cooperation, said postal traffic had gone down 80 percent to the U.S. since Aug. 29, when the rule went into effect.
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