Effective August 29, 2025, the United States will introduce new customs regulations for goods from Europe. The basis is the Executive Order "Suspending Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for all Countries." It raises the previous de minimis threshold for duty-free imports to 800 US dollars and obliges all imports—with the exception of certain private gift shipments—to be cleared through customs.
Restrictions on postal shipments
For this reason, Deutsche Post and DHL Parcel have already imposed a stop of acceptance starting August 22 for business customer packages and Warenpost International to the USA. Affected are commercial shipments as well as mail items with a value over 100 US dollars. In its press release, the company points to unresolved questions regarding fee collection, additional data records, and transmission to the U.S. customs authorities.
Exempt from the restrictions are shipments from private individuals to private individuals with a value up to 100 US dollars, if they contain only gifts and
are marked as a gift. Document shipment remains possible. The same applies to transport via DHL Express, which, however, is based on the stricter commercial customs clearance.
Commercial customs clearance as an alternative
DHL Express takes on in the USA the role of the customs broker. All goods, including those valued at up to 100 US dollars, will in the future be subject to customs clearance. For products from the European Union, a duty rate of 15 percent applies, although certain product groups may be subject to higher tariffs. Which party bears the duties depends on the agreed international delivery terms.
The Deutsche Post emphasizes that the postal customs clearance process under the Universal Postal Union treaty has so far been simpler and cheaper. In the future, this option will no longer be available for commercial shipments.
Political framework through EU-U.S. trade declaration
On August 21, 2025, the European Union and the United States released a
joint statement on trade and investments. This declaration specifies the future framework conditions for transatlantic trade in goods. It provides, among other things, that the USA will apply a maximum duty rate of 15 percent for most EU products. For certain product groups, including aircraft parts, generic pharmaceuticals and intermediates, only the regular MFN duty rates will apply from September 1, 2025.
For vehicles and vehicle parts, the 15 percent rule comes into effect as soon as the EU starts the corresponding tariff-reduction procedures. In addition, the application of Section 232 tariffs should be limited to a maximum of 15 percent, provided the EU adopts its own regulations.
Perspectives for goods trade
The joint statement also announces the removal of non-tariff trade barriers. This includes mutual recognition of standards, closer cooperation in conformity assessments, and simplified certifications in the agricultural sector. In digital trade, too, both sides want to avoid tariffs.
In parallel, the EU commits
to taking energy deliveries from the USA worth 750 billion US dollars by 2028, including liquefied natural gas, oil and nuclear energy. It also aims to invest at least 40 billion US dollars in US AI chips. EU companies also want to make strategic investments totaling 600 billion US dollars in the USA by 2028.
Impact on logistics companies
For freight forwarders and logistics service providers, the combination of new US regulations and the EU-US trade framework means a fundamental upheaval. The previously common path via postal shipment of goods to the USA is blocked for the time being. For business customers, only commercial customs clearance remains, which entails higher costs, more extensive documentation, and stricter controls.
At the same time, the political agreement between Brussels and Washington opens up a mid-term perspective to limit tariffs and reduce trade barriers. Whether and when postal operators will be able to resume regular shipments of goods to the
