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| Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium will halt parcel shipments to the US starting August 23. Carlos Barria/CB |
If you’re planning to order something from Europe, you may want to act fast. Starting later this month, several European postal operators will suspend parcel shipments to the United States due to major changes in U.S. trade policy.
What’s Happening
Postal services in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium including Posten Bring, PostNord, and bpost have announced that they will temporarily halt parcel deliveries to the U.S. beginning August 23, 2025. This pause comes as the U.S. government ends the long-standing “de minimis” exemption, which previously allowed shipments valued under $800 to enter duty-free and with minimal paperwork.
With the exemption gone, every parcel will now be subject to tariffs, customs declarations, and duty collection, creating logistical hurdles that many postal operators say they are not equipped to handle.
Why Postal Services Are Suspending Shipments
PostNord, which serves Sweden and Denmark, explained that there was simply not enough time to adapt to the new requirements. Without the ability to process customs forms or guarantee payment of duties, the operator said suspension was the “only option.”
Similarly, Norway’s Posten Bring stated that postal providers have not been given clear instructions on how duties will be paid or who will handle returns if recipients refuse delivery due to unexpected fees.
Belgium’s bpost has issued a similar notice, aligning with its European counterparts.
What It Means for Shoppers
The suspension applies to all parcels except letters, meaning that consumers ordering clothing, electronics, crafts, or other goods from these countries could see their purchases canceled or delayed.
Even buyers outside of Scandinavia and Belgium may be affected. Etsy, the U.S.-based e-commerce platform, announced that it will suspend U.S.-bound shipping labels for Australia Post, Canada Post, Evri, and the UK’s Royal Mail starting August 25.
Independent sellers, particularly in the UK, have begun warning customers of steep new costs. Some report that using Royal Mail for U.S.-bound parcels could now require an $80 flat fee plus handling charges, making small international sales nearly impossible.
One UK-based shop, Citrine Circle, posted on Instagram:
“We hope to resume shipping as soon as we can, but we really don’t want our customers to be hit with an $80+ fee. It feels like the world is getting smaller and smaller.”
The Bigger Picture
The U.S. government’s suspension of the de minimis rule is part of President Donald Trump’s broader tariff-focused trade agenda, which also includes higher duties on imports from Asia, Europe, and Latin America. While the White House argues that tariffs protect domestic industries and encourage local production, businesses and consumers warn that the costs will ultimately be passed on to shoppers.
For now, it remains unclear when European postal operators will resume shipments to the U.S. Many are working on developing compliant systems, but the timeline is uncertain. Until then, international online shoppers may face higher costs, fewer shipping options, and unexpected delays.
