Evri reports 30% increase in US parcel deliveries as postal firms pause shipments

Tomorrow marks the end of the de minimis exemption that meant that parcels under $800 (£593) were exempt from relevant duties. That means that lower value shipments are now subject to the tariffs set out by the US government based on the country of origin of the goods delivered.

Since last Friday, carriers around the globe have been announcing they are suspending parcel deliveries to the US. The reasons given include making sure that parcels currently in transit can reach the US before the new rules apply, as well as putting processes in place to handle the new obligations.

Royal Mail announced it would temporarily pause deliveries on Tuesday, but said yesterday that it would be the first international postal operator to launch new services to send goods to the US. 

According to the July 30, 2025 executive order that suspended de minimis, all goods sent through the postal network need to apply either the effective country-specific tariff rate or, temporarily, a fixed fee of between $80 and $200 per item depending on the tariff rate of the origin country.

This will place a significant administrative burden on the US Postal Service. The White House executive order which closed de minimis exemptions for China and Hong Kong in April said that Customs and Border Protection processes 4 million de minimis shipments each day.

Express courier firms like Evri, FedEx and UPS can deliver outside of the postal network so are not necessarily subject to the same levels of disruption, although shipments will be subject to a wider range of fees.

Evri says that it set up a new service in May ahead of the de minimis deadline to help avoid disruption. Retailers can either use a model where Evri manages and charges back duties and taxes to the retailer or one where the customer is required to foot the bill.

“We’ve trumped the tariffs and are pleased to offer a solution to remove the risk for those businesses, by doing the leg work and collecting parcel taxes and duties up front, supporting UK-based SMEs to retain a crucial income stream in a challenging retail climate,” said Evri director of international Craig Lee.

“FedEx continues to accept and transport US-bound shipments – as an express carrier, our international express offerings are not impacted by the decisions of postal operators,” said a spokesperson from FedEx. “Our priority is supporting our customers and helping them navigate through the changes going into effect for US-bound shipments on August 29.”

“We are one of the world’s largest customs brokers, and our brokerage services are designed to ensure shipments comply with regulations, pay necessary duties and taxes, and avoid delays,” said a UPS spokesperson.

This piece was updated on 29 August, 2025 to clarify that Royal Mail paused deliveries on Tuesday, rather than Friday as previously stated. It also now includes information on Royal Mail’s new services to facilitate deliveries to the US, announced on the 28 August, 2025.