August 26, 2025, 1:31 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
The DHL Group is responding to tightened customs regulations and is temporarily halting package shipments to the U.S. for certain parcels. The reason is an executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump, which mandates that all goods, regardless of value, must be declared for customs. Only private gift shipments valued up to $100 are still allowed–but under increased scrutiny.
Since August 22, DHL Paket and Deutsche Post have stopped sending business shipments to the U.S. The background is the so-called Executive Order “Suspending Duty-Free de minimis Treatment for all Countries,” as the company explains on its website. This takes effect on August 29 and lifts the previously applicable duty-free threshold of $800.
This means that even smaller shipments must be fully declared and cleared through customs. The order also requires logistics companies to collect customs fees in the country of origin–not upon arrival at U.S. customs as before. According to DHL, it is still unclear how customs fees will be collected, what data is needed, and how this will be transmitted to U.S. customs authorities.
Private Customers Only Partially Affected
Individuals can still send gifts with a value up to $100 (about 86 euros) to the U.S., provided they are correctly declared as such. The shipment of documents remains unchanged. However, DHL announced that these shipments will be more strictly monitored in the future to prevent misuse. Packages with a higher value can only be sent by private customers as express shipments, which involves significantly higher costs.
Read also: Major Change at DHL Affects All Users
While postal shipments to the U.S. are severely restricted, commercial customs clearance–such as through DHL Express–remains available. This primarily affects commercial goods traffic. However, extensive information about the goods is required, and there are higher requirements for documentation and classification.
Additionally, an expected customs duty of 15 percent will be applied to products from the EU. Some product groups may incur even higher duties. The payment of customs fees is made according to the agreement between sender and recipient, in accordance with the so-called Incoterms.
Other Shipping Providers Also Respond
The tightened U.S. regulations affect all international postal and parcel services. Many providers, including national companies such as Österreichische Post or Postnord, have implemented or announced similar measures. The European industry association PostEurop also expects further shipping stops among member companies.
DHL stated that it is working with European partners and U.S. authorities on a solution. The goal is to resume goods shipments to the U.S. as soon as possible. How long the restrictions will last is currently unclear.