DHL Express is temporarily pausing deliveries to the United States with a value above $800 due to a “significant increase” in bureaucracy at customs controls following the imposition of Donald Trump’s new tariff regime.
The delivery company states that from Monday they will stop shipments from companies in all countries to American consumers “until further notice”.
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Business-to-business deliveries will continue to be carried out, “but these too may experience delays”, according to the company.
Previously, packages worth up to $2,500 could enter the US with minimal paperwork, but due to tightened customs controls that came into effect at the same time as Trump’s new tariffs earlier this month, this limit has now been lowered.
Increased customs control causes delays
DHL states that the change “has led to a sharp increase in formal customs clearances, which we now handle around the clock”.
The company says that while it works to “scale up and manage this increase, shipments worth over $800 – regardless of country of origin – may experience delays of several days”.
Packages under $800 will still be delivered, as these can be shipped to the United States with minimal checks.
Trump regime tightens from May 2
However, the White House is in the process of tightening rules for shipments under $800 – especially those sent from China and Hong Kong – starting May 2, when it closes a loophole that has allowed low-value packages to enter the U.S. without customs fees.
The removal of the so-called “de minimis” rule will affect companies such as the fashion house Shein and the discount giant Temu.
Both companies have announced that they will increase prices “due to recent changes in global trade rules and customs duties”.
Accusations of “abusive shipping practices”
The Trump administration claims that “many shippers” in China “conceal illegal substances and conceal the true contents of shipments to the United States through abusive shipping practices”.
Through an executive order, the White House says the measures are aimed at “thanking the synthetic opioid supply chain”, which it claims is “playing a significant role in the synthetic opioid crisis in the United States”.
However, Beijing has responded that the opioid fentanyl is an “American problem” and that China has the world’s strictest drug policy.
Hong Kong Post suspends deliveries
Last week, Hong Kong Post announced that it will halt sea deliveries to the United States, and from April 27 will no longer accept parcels destined for the United States.
They stated, “The United States is behaving unreasonably, resorting to thuggish methods and imposing tariffs in an abusive manner.”
Source: BBC
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