The company aims to manage growing delays as the US tightens regulations affecting international shipments.
**DHL Halts High-Value US Shipments Amid New Tariff Regulations**
**DHL Halts High-Value US Shipments Amid New Tariff Regulations**
DHL Express pauses deliveries worth over $800 to the US due to increased customs complexities stemming from new tariffs.
DHL Express has announced the suspension of deliveries to the United States for packages valued over $800 (£603) in response to heightened customs requirements linked to Donald Trump's recently implemented tariff policies. Effective Monday, shipments from all countries destined for American consumers will be halted "until further notice." However, business-to-business deliveries will continue but may experience delays.
Previously, packages valued up to $2,500 faced minimal customs paperwork, but the new tariff regime has lowered this threshold, causing a spike in formal customs clearances that DHL is working to accommodate. The firm indicated that shipments exceeding $800, regardless of their origin, might encounter multi-day delays as they adjust to the increased processing workload.
Deliveries of packages priced under $800 will still proceed, benefiting from reduced customs checks. Nonetheless, the White House plans to tighten regulations on low-value shipments from China and Hong Kong by removing the "de minimis" exemption on May 2, which allows such packages to enter the US without duties. This change is expected to affect companies like Shein and Temu, which have warned consumers that price increases will follow due to new trade rules and tariffs.
The Trump administration has justified these measures by asserting that "many shippers" in China engage in deceptive shipping practices to obscure illicit goods. A recent executive order cites these regulations as a step toward combating the synthetic opioid crisis in the US, with the administration claiming that entities like China are responsible for facilitating the crisis, a statement met with denial by Beijing, which maintains strict drug laws.
Additionally, Hongkong Post has stated it will cease accepting packages for the US starting April 27, describing US tariffs as unreasonable and abusive. As complications mount and brands like Shein and Temu prepare for heightened costs, the landscape of international deliveries continues to shift under the weight of evolving trade policies.
Previously, packages valued up to $2,500 faced minimal customs paperwork, but the new tariff regime has lowered this threshold, causing a spike in formal customs clearances that DHL is working to accommodate. The firm indicated that shipments exceeding $800, regardless of their origin, might encounter multi-day delays as they adjust to the increased processing workload.
Deliveries of packages priced under $800 will still proceed, benefiting from reduced customs checks. Nonetheless, the White House plans to tighten regulations on low-value shipments from China and Hong Kong by removing the "de minimis" exemption on May 2, which allows such packages to enter the US without duties. This change is expected to affect companies like Shein and Temu, which have warned consumers that price increases will follow due to new trade rules and tariffs.
The Trump administration has justified these measures by asserting that "many shippers" in China engage in deceptive shipping practices to obscure illicit goods. A recent executive order cites these regulations as a step toward combating the synthetic opioid crisis in the US, with the administration claiming that entities like China are responsible for facilitating the crisis, a statement met with denial by Beijing, which maintains strict drug laws.
Additionally, Hongkong Post has stated it will cease accepting packages for the US starting April 27, describing US tariffs as unreasonable and abusive. As complications mount and brands like Shein and Temu prepare for heightened costs, the landscape of international deliveries continues to shift under the weight of evolving trade policies.
