Global shipping giant DHL announced it would “temporarily” suspend the delivery of parcels worth more than $800 from businesses to individuals in the United States as of Monday, citing delays in U.S. customs clearances.
“As a result of recent U.S. Customs regulatory updates, we are experiencing multi-day transit delays to the U.S. from any origin for shipments with a declared customs value exceeding USD 800,” DHL said in a statement.
U.S. President Donald Trump has launched a wide-ranging trade war since coming to office, threatening friend and foe alike with steep tariffs to address U.S. trade deficits with individual countries.
As part of those changes, the government has also lowered the threshold at which parcels to individuals require formal entry processing by U.S. Customs, down to $800 from $2,500 as of April 5.
“This change has caused a surge in formal customs clearances, which we are handling around the clock,” said DHL.
The company added that business-to-business shipments would not be affected by the suspension, “though they may also face delays.”
Trump’s government has taken particular aim at China, and earlier this month, Washington closed a duty-free exemption for small parcels from that country, a move that appeared to be designed to target low-cost online retailers like Temu and Shein.
