Poste Italiane and UPS suspend parcels due to new US customs rules
A historic change for international trade
As of 29 August 2025, sending parcels to the United States from other countries has become more complex than ever.
A new executive order signed by the President Donald Trump on 29 August introduced new US trade policies eliminated the de minimis“ exemption” of $800, which until now allowed low-value goods to be imported without paying duties.
From now on, all shipments containing goods, regardless of value, will be subject to customs taxation.
The only exceptions remain the gifts with a value of less than USD 100 and the personal property up to USD 200 transported directly by travellers.
The measure triggered chaos among major European postal operators - including Poste Italiane, Royal Mail, DHL, La Poste, PostNord and Swiss Post - who announced the temporary suspension of shipments to the United States to adapt to the new procedures.
Poste Italiane suspends US-bound parcels
From 23 August 2025, Italian Post Office temporarily stopped sending and acceptance of parcels containing goods bound for the United States.
The decision, which was taken in advance of the official entry into force of the new rules, arose from the impossibility of managing the adaptation of Italian customs and IT systems to the new requirements of the US authorities in time.
According to official sources and confirmed by several national newspapers, remain active only:
- the service Poste Delivery International Express, which follows dedicated customs channels;
- and the mail-only shipments, i.e. letters and documents without commercial content.
Shipments of ordinary goods, on the other hand, are suspended until further notice.
This is a prudential measure, motivated by the need to review pre-customs protocols and to verify who is liable to pay the new duties.
📉 What changes with the new US rules
The new US customs rules introduce a flat-rate tariff regime for the first six months:
After this transitional period, duties will return to being calculated in the traditional way, “ad valorem”, i.e. as a percentage of the declared value of the goods.
The result? Thousands of parcels in customs, delivery delays and confusion as to who actually has to bear the extra costs: sender or consignee.
A domino effect in Europe
Besides Poste Italiane, other European operators have also taken similar measures:
- Royal Mail (UK) suspended commercial shipments, pending an upgrade of their digital systems.
- DHL Germany blocked standard services, keeping only DHL Express, for urgent and fully traceable shipments.
- La Poste (France) stopped ordinary parcels from 25 August, except for gifts under EUR 100.
- PostNorth (Scandinavia) e Swiss Post they followed the same line, reporting difficulties due to new technical demands that only arrived from Washington in mid-August.
Many companies talk about temporary suspensions, but the truth is that the lack of clarity on how duties are collected paralysed the entire sector.
The effects in the US: delays and congestion in customs centres
In the US customs hubs there is a record accumulation of parcels.
The new regulations require for each shipment:
- the precise declaration of country of origin of each commodity;
- the indication of the customs code HTSUS;
- a detailed description of the product, quantity and value;
- the inclusion of a recipient's email contact for the collection of taxes and duties.
Many operators - not only from Europe but also from Asia - were not prepared to handle this level of detail, and US customs found themselves dealing with an unprecedented amount of data and controls.
Accordingly, average customs clearance time extended to 14 working days, and some couriers report real logistical blockages in US warehouses.
🟠 UPS also in trouble: de facto suspended service to the US
To further complicate the situation, also UPS confirmed significant problems in shipments to the US.
Although in theory they still accept bookings, in practice, traffic is blocked due to the huge accumulation of parcels at the US customs centres.
In its official communiqué of 9 October 2025, UPS points out that:
“As of 29 August, the suspension of the exemption de minimis implies that all imports into the United States, regardless of value or country of origin, are subject to applicable US duties and taxes.”
UPS admits that the measure generated a substantial increase in customs formalities, causing longer processing times and generalised delays, particularly for shipments requiring approval by federal agencies such as the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).
Furthermore, UPS clarifies that:
- all shipments must include full information on the commercial invoice or proforma,
- it is mandatory to specify the country of origin of each product,usually included in the declaration of free export,
- and for shipments with formal registration, the US tax identification number of the importer (EIN or SSN).
In fact, UPS suspended normal delivery service to the United States, limited to handling parcels already in transit and reorganising their operational protocols.
Only from 10 October 2025 has been partially reactivated the UPS Money Back Guarantee, a sign of a slow return to normality.
🧭 What it means for those shipping from Italy to the US
For Italian companies and individuals, this scenario represents an unprecedented challenge.
Those who have to ship to the United States are now faced with:
- unforeseen customs costs, even for small value packages;
- significant delays in the delivery time;
- increased documentation requirements, which, if not respected, can lead to the parcel being blocked by customs;
- tracking difficulties in the case of shipments with several postal intermediaries.
In essence, standard“ Italy → USA shipping is no longer a reliable option until the main postal operators have completed the technical adaptation to the new American rules.
💡 The point of view of SpedizioneComoda.com
The recent changes introduced by the United States confirm that it is now more important than ever to rely on specialised operators and integrated digital platforms that know how to prepare and manage international shipments.
Although Poste Italiane and UPS temporarily suspend their parcel services in the US, we here at ShippingComoda.com we continue to provide the service thanks to alternative solutions offered by international express couriers such as DHL and FedEx. These have already adapted their customs systems, thus enabling us to offer:
- get transparent and immediate quotes, with an indication of the estimated duties;
- complete, with our assistance if necessary, the commercial invoice complying with new US requirements;
- take advantage of home collection and full tracking;
- receive customised customs assistance for regulated or particularly urgent shipments.
📋 Practical tips for shipping to the USA in 2026
- Fill in the commercial invoice in detailclear product description, HS code, value, country of origin.
- Avoid multiple sub-threshold shipmentscustoms might interpret them as a single import.
- Prefer international express couriers with a direct customs network (e.g. DHL Express or FedEx; UPS will soon resume regular service).
- Prepare FDA documentation if you send food, cosmetics or supplements.
- Always check the declared value and amount of duties in advanceeven small errors can cause delays or customs blocks.
🧾 Conclusion
The new US regulations of 2026 have turned the landscape of international shipping upside down.
The suspension of the regime de minimis caused delays, extra costs and operational blockades for giants such as Italian Post Office e UPS, which now find themselves having to redesign their customs infrastructure.
In this context, those shipping from Italy to the US should focus on express services with dedicated customs assistance and transparent calculation tools.
SpedizioneComoda.com confirms itself as a point of reference for those seeking clarity, reliability and business continuity, even in the most complex moments of global trade.
