Australian, European Postal Operators Reportedly Stopping Shipments Ahead of de Minimis Demise
Postal operators in Australia and Europe reportedly are halting low-value shipments to the U.S. in response to the end of the de minimis exemption on Aug. 29 (see 2507300046).
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PostEurop, a Brussels-based organization representing European postal operators, indicated that some of its members already are planning to pause low-value shipments in light of the de minimis changes as operators wait for direction from the U.S. on how to collect the duties.
These members include Nordic region operator PostNord, which ships goods from Sweden and Denmark; Omniva, which operates in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania; and Belgium's Bpost.
“This decision is unfortunate but necessary to ensure full compliance of the newly implemented rules. We are actively working with the relevant international organizations, as well as our U.S. partners, to develop and implement the necessary solution, and remain committed to resuming service for our customers as soon as possible,” Bjorn Bergman, PostNord head of group brand and communication, said in an Aug. 20 release.
PostEurop, meanwhile, said on Aug. 19 that its members could temporarily stop low-value parcels if critical issues and processes are not clearly defined, including details on duty collection and what data should be collected. The association said select technical details were only released on Aug. 15 (see 2508150058), "leaving an extremely short timeframe to prepare."
The Australian Post has reportedly suspended its transit service to the U.S. temporarily ahead of the looming Aug. 29 deadline, according to an Aug. 21 ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corp.) News report, while postal operations in Austria also have halted shipments to the U.S., following the actions of several European counterparts, according to an Aug. 21 Reuters story.
The Australian Post doesn't appear to have provided an Aug. 21 update on whether it actually has stopped the transit. However, the group noted earlier this week the potential issues that lay ahead in complying with U.S. duty regulations.
"US Customs & Border Protection has indicated that the duties and taxes will be collected on goods prior to entering the US. CBP has not yet advised the preferred method for duty and tax collection," an Australian Post update said. The organization said it is working with the U.S. Postal Service, CBP, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and others, including third-party platform partners and the Universal Postal Union, to implement the regulation changes accurately.