Delivery giant DHL suspends high-value US deliveries over tariffs

The delivery giant said it would be placing a temporary stop on shipments from companies outside of the US “until further notice”, according to the BBC.

It added that business-to-business shipments will continue, although it warned that they “may also face delays”.

Previously, packages worth up to $2,500 (£1,863) could be shipped to the US with minimal paperwork but due to tighter customs checks that came into force alongside Trump’s tariffs earlier in the month, that threshold has lowered.

DHL said this has “caused a surge in formal customs clearances, which we are handling around the clock”.

It added that it was working to “scale up and manage this increase, shipments worth over $800, regardless of origin, may experience multi-day delays”.

While the delivery giant said it was still delivering packages worth less than $800, the White House is set to clamp down on these deliveries – specifically those from China and Hong Kong – on May 2 when it closes the de minimis loophole.

The removal of the de minimis rule will impact the likes of Shein and Temu, which have both warned that they will increase prices “due to recent changes to global trade rules and tariffs”.

The Trump administration has claimed that “many shippers” in China “hide illicit substances and conceal the true contents of shipments sent to the US through deceptive shipping practices”.

Using an executive order, the White House also claimed the measures were aimed at “addressing the synthetic opioid supply chain”, which it said “played a significant role in the synthetic opioid crisis in the US”.

Last week, Hong Kong Post said it would be suspending packages to the US by sea and, from April 27, would stop accepting parcels destined for the country.

It said the Trump administration was “unreasonable, bullying and imposing tariffs abusively”.