DHL to Suspend Global Shipments of Packages Valued at More Than $800 to US Consumers

The company said the suspension is temporary.

Trucks are parked outside a DHL delivery facility in Manhattan, New York on May 9, 2022. Andrew Kelly/Reuters

Shipping giant DHL announced it would temporarily suspend shipments of items worth $800 or more to private individuals in the United States starting on April 21 due to U.S. customs regulatory changes.

In a statement, the German company said that “we are experiencing multi-day transit delays to the U.S. from any origin for shipments with a declared customs value exceeding” the $800 value and is suspending shipping those items “until further notice.” Shipments under that amount are not affected by the new change.

The statement on DHL’s website was not dated, but metadata showed that it was posted on April 19.

The move only impacts “private individuals” in the United States, said DHL, a subsidiary of DHL Group, which also owns Deutsche Post. Meanwhile, the statement added, “business-to-business shipments to U.S. companies with a declarable value” above $800 will not be impacted but may face delays.

Starting on April 5, U.S. customs officials were required to engage in formal entry processing of items worth $800 or more, down from the previous amount of $2,500, according to the company.

“This change has caused a surge in formal customs clearances, which we are handling around the clock,” DHL said, adding that it is “working diligently to scale up and manage this increase.”

On April 5, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released a statement saying that the new $800 threshold applies to products being sent from China and Hong Kong that were previously allowed in duty-free. That policy was slated to go into effect on May 2.

CBP also said in its statement that it will be collecting a duty of 30 percent of the value of the item or $25 per item for postal items sent internationally containing goods from China and Hong Kong valued at or under $800.

“The duty rate on such goods will increase to $50 per item after June 1, 2025,” CBP said.

Chinese e-commerce companies such as Temu and Shein have long used the de minimis loophole to send small packages to U.S. consumers, a practice that was targeted with a proposed rule change by Biden administration officials last year.

DHL’s message came after Hongkong Post said last week it had suspended mail services for goods sent by sea to the United States after the Trump administration increased tariffs on China up to 145 percent. The Chinese regime has since responded with additional import taxes of 125 percent on U.S. goods.

Hongkong Post’s statement said it would also suspend air mail containing goods destined for the United States starting April 27.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump announced 10 percent baseline tariffs for nearly every country and imposed higher duties on countries that have a significant trade surplus with the United States. A week later, Trump said he would place a 90-day pause on the higher reciprocal tariffs and keep them capped at 10 percent while negotiations take place over that period.

White House officials later confirmed that 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada over immigration and fentanyl trafficking, which Trump announced weeks prior, would remain intact.

Last week, Trump economic adviser Kevin Hassett said that more than 15 countries have submitted trade deal offers to the White House so far. Trump also said on April 16 that he joined talks with Japanese officials on a trade deal and that progress was made.

Reuters contributed to this report.