UPU: GLOBAL MAIL FLOWS INTO USA NEAR STANDSTILL; 80% DROP IN TRAFFIC

September (Berne, Switzerland) – The Universal Postal Union (UPU) – the UN specialized agency for global postal cooperation – has started deploying a solution to help postal operators resume delivery to the United States after postal traffic to the country dipped more than 80% following its suspension of the duty-free de minimis exemption, effective 29 August.

“The UPU has in its mission the responsibility to guarantee the free circulation of postal items over a single postal territory. We’re working to uphold that responsibility with the rapid development of a new technical solution that will help get mail moving to the United States again,” said UPU Director General Masahiko Metoki, (pictured in the file photo above) .

As of 5 September, postal operators can access a landed-cost calculator via an application programming interface (API) that can be plugged into their retail and counter solutions. The solution enables posts to calculate and collect the required duties from customers at origin.

The global network saw postal traffic to the US come to a near halt after the implementation of the new rules on 29 August 2025, which for the first time placed the burden of customs duty collection and remittance on transportation carriers or US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency-approved qualified parties. Carriers, such as airlines, signalled they were unwilling or unable to bear this responsibility and postal operators had not yet established a link to the list of CBP qualified parties, causing major operational disruptions.

The data, exchanged between postal operators via the UPU’s electronic network, shows that traffic from UPU member countries to the US was down 81% on Friday 29 August – the day the regulation was implemented – compared to the previous Friday, 22 August.

Furthermore, 88 postal operators informed the UPU they have suspended some or all postal services to the US until a solution is implemented, highlighting the widespread impact of the US Executive Order eliminating the de minimis exemption for low-value goods.

The UPU’s Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) solution will also soon be integrated in its Customs Declaration System (CDS) platform, allowing a gradual roll-out by the 176 postal operators using this platform. Solutions to transfer the required data and to remit the amounts to the qualified third party will also be provided, and posts will have at their disposal all the necessary technological tools to keep the mail moving. The UPU will support postal operators with the roll out of this complete solution, including adapting their internal procedures and training postal staff.

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