Important Shipping Information for USA 2025

PostNL temporarily suspends parcel shipping to the United States due to new regulations
*** Our Dutch Store Location *** 

Starting Immediately, PostNL will temporarily stop sending parcels to the United States due to new US regulations. Letters will still be sent to the country.

Domestic editorial staff 22-08-25, 20:05
Last update:22-08-25, 20:41

On August 29th, US legislation regarding the import of shipments into the United States will change," PostNL explains. "These changes are due to the expiration of the import duty exemption for shipments with a value of up to $800. The implementation of this change is still pending. 

The postal service has not yet provided clarity on how these packages will be allowed into the United States.

PostNL, together with other European postal companies and the United States Postal Service (USPS), is trying to gain clarity about the process and requirements set by US customs.

Earlier on Friday, DHL announced it was temporarily restricting parcel shipments from Germany to the US due to changing US regulations. Only parcels with a value of up to $100 and marked as gifts will be shipped there. Businesses and individuals wishing to send more expensive parcels will have to use more expensive express delivery services.

The Austrian Post, the Belgian bpost and the Swedish-Danish PostNord have also announced similar measures. 

 *** Our Canadian Store Location *** 

The US has announced that the de minimis exemption for imports (the threshold below which imported goods won’t need to be charged duties and fees) from all countries will be eliminated as of August 29th 2025. It’s crucial to understand how this change may impact your shipments. 

Duties and customs clearance:Starting August 29th, all shipments to the US—regardless of value—will be subject to applicable duties and customs clearance.

As of this date, Canada Post has advised that its current Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) shipping services to the US (Tracked PacketTM USA, Expedited ParcelTM USA, or XpresspostTM USA) are not compliant with these changes. 

There is a significant risk that non-compliant shipments arriving to the US beyond August 29th will be returned to the sender ;Therefore, effective August 25th these Canada Post services will be disabled 

This means both our Netherlands and Canadian Store can only ship by UPS and FEDEX to any adress in the United States of America

Important note about the shipping costs and customs.

Customs & Import Taxes

• International orders may be subject to customs duties, VAT, or import taxes, depending on your country’s regulations.

• These charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost and are the customer's responsibility.

Hereunder you can find information about the tariffs. We are not billing you the tariffs and custom duties, the postage service and custom agencies are. Those are out of our control.

About the U.S. de minimis suspension

Effective August 29, 2025, the United States has suspended its duty-free “de minimis” threshold of US$800 for all countries, including Canada. All postal shipments to the U.S. will require prepaid duties before your package crosses the border – regardless of their value or country of origin.

Shipping to the U.S. – duties update

The changes apply to all shipments by a business from Canada, whether it is sent via Canada Post through the postal channel, another courier or freight company or through the commercial channel.

Goods valued at US$800 or less that are shipped to the United States through Canada Post’s postal network will be subject to International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariff rates based on the product’s country of origin. For items manufactured in China, for example, the current IEEPA rate is 34% for most products.

Example of a U.S. duty on stuffed toys made in China

A business is shipping a stufffed toy valued at CAD $57 made in China through Canada Post to a U.S. customer. The current IEEPA rate of 34%, making the duty $19.38.

The customs duties and tariffs are collected by the shipping companies like UPS/Fedex on behalve of the customs office in the United States. 

When shipping cross-border with USPS/UPS/Fedex, customs duties, taxes, and fees are the responsibility of the recipient and are assessed by the destination country's customs service, not by USPS/UPS/FEXEX or the seller of the goods. For incoming international mail, the recipient pays these charges to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), often at the time of delivery. For outgoing international mail, the recipient country determines and collects these fees from the recipient. 

Customs and duty fees are generally not negotiable, as they are legally mandated taxes and duties imposed by a country's government on imported goods. While you cannot negotiate the rates themselves, there are sometimes circumstances under which you may pay lower or no fees, such as importing from countries with preferential trade agreements or for certain exempt items. You may also be able to claim back incorrectly calculated fees or taxes on a shipment by contacting the relevant customs authority.

• Standardized Calculations: 

  The calculation of duties and taxes is based on factors like the value of the goods, shipping costs, and the country of origin, using established rates set by the government. 

  
  

  What to do if you don't pay

  • Refuse the parcel: 

    If you refuse to pay, the parcel will typically be sent back to the sender. 

    • Seizure and fines: 

      Refusing to pay or attempting to evade fees by misdeclaring goods can lead to seizure of the goods and potential fines or additional costs.