The South African Post Office (SAPO) has suspended all outbound parcel deliveries containing goods to the United States following sweeping changes to US customs regulations under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The suspension, effective immediately, comes in response to the termination of the long-standing “de minimis” rule, which previously allowed international parcels valued under $800 to enter the US duty-free.
The new policy, enacted on 30 July, now requires foreign postal operators to pre-pay duties on behalf of customers before shipments can be accepted by US customs.
Parcels containing goods will be returned to senders until a new compliance system is developed.
“Given the complex processes required to comply with the new regulation, we have no choice but to temporarily suspend these shipments,” SAPO said
It announced that letters, documents and exempt mail such as military correspondence will continue to be processed.
“Only documents, letters and exempted mail can be shipped,” it said.
The move by SAPO aligns with similar actions taken by more than 30 countries, including Japan, the United Kingdom and Australia, which have paused parcel shipments to the US amid uncertainty over the new tariff regime.
The Universal Postal Union – a United Nations agency that coordinates international mail deliveries – early this week reported that over two dozen member states had halted goods consignments by 26 August, citing concerns about the impact on transit services.
The de minimis exemption had facilitated billions in e-commerce and personal shipments.
In 2024 alone, such shipments to the US were valued at over $1.36 billion, according to US Customs and Border Protection.
SAPO’s decision is expected to affect businesses, e-commerce sellers and individuals sending personal goods to the US.
The state-owned postal service, already undergoing business rescue proceedings, has not provided a timeline for resuming parcel services.
JN/APA