The UPU is rolling out a tool to help 88 postal operators resume US deliveries disrupted by new customs duty rules.
GENEVA: The Universal Postal Union (UPU) is stepping in with an emergency solution after 88 postal operators suspended mail services to the United States, following a drastic change in US customs regulations that went into effect on 29 August.
The disruption came after the US government eliminated its duty-free de minimis exemption, a policy that previously allowed low-value goods to enter the country without additional duties. According to UPU data, international mail traffic to the US plunged 81% on the day of implementation, compared to the previous week.
In response, the UPU has developed a landed-cost calculator, now available through an application programming interface (API), which allows postal operators to calculate and collect duties from customers at the point of origin. This technical tool is part of a broader system designed to restore cross-border mail flow to the US.
“The UPU has in its mission the responsibility to guarantee the free circulation of postal items over a single postal territory,” said UPU Director General Masahiko Metoki. “We’re working to uphold that responsibility with the rapid development of this new solution.”
Postal operators are being supported through implementation, which includes staff training, updated retail procedures, and integration with the UPU’s electronic data network. The organisation is urging all members to adopt the system promptly to restore mail operations.
This incident underlines the global dependency on streamlined customs processes and the cascading effects of unilateral policy shifts on international logistics. Until the solution is fully adopted, affected countries continue to hold or restrict mail bound for US addresses.
