'Yes, Royal Mail, along with many other international postal services, temporarily stopped accepting packages for the United States because the U.S. ended its de minimis exemption for low-value goods on August 29, 2025, which now imposes tariffs on these items and creates significant processing challenges for shippers. Royal Mail temporarily halted services to allow existing packages to arrive before the new tariffs came into effect and to develop new systems to comply with the rules, including new handling charges for parcels.
Why Royal Mail stopped shipping to the U.S.:
Trump administration tariffs:
An executive order from the Trump administration ended the de minimis exemption for packages under $800, which previously allowed them to enter the U.S. duty-free.
New tariffs apply to low-value goods:
Goods shipped after the August 29, 2025, deadline will now be subject to the standard tariff rate for their country of origin, with a 15% tariff for many EU goods.
Administrative burden:
The new rules created significant administrative hurdles and uncertainty for shippers, as they needed to implement new systems and processes for handling tariffs and customs clearance.
What this means for shippers:
Temporary halt:
Royal Mail and other postal services temporarily suspended accepting shipments to ensure packages in transit would clear before the new duties took effect.
New handling charges:
Royal Mail plans to introduce a new service for shipping to the U.S., with a new 50p handling fee added to postage costs to cover the additional customs clearance services.
Impact on small businesses:
The change is expected to disproportionately affect small and medium-sized European businesses that export low-value goods to the U.S., as they now face increased costs and administrative complexities.
Letters and gifts:
Royal Mail stated that letters and individual gifts (under a certain value, such as the previously mentioned €100) may still be posted, though they will be subject to extra checks.'

Soooo Angie has to hold on to the page she was going to send me because the UK is butt hurt.