Tariff tangles: Global courier giant suspends high-value shipments to US

Washington: US President Donald Trump’s new tariff regime has also impacted another sector – courier shipments to citizens in the country beyond a certain value.

DHL Express announced it is suspending deliveries worth more than $800 from all countries to the US because of a “significant increase” in red tape at customs.

The delivery giant said it will temporarily stop shipments from companies in all countries to American consumers on Monday “until further notice”, the BCC reported.

However, business-to-business shipments will still go ahead, “though they may also face delays”, the global courier major said.

Previously, packages worth up to $2,500 could enter the US with minimal paperwork, but now, due to tighter customs checks in place with the new tariff regime, which was launched earlier in April before being placed in abeyance temporarily, the value threshold has been lowered.

DHL said that the change “has caused a surge in formal customs clearances, which we are handling around the clock” and while it is working to “scale up and manage this increase, shipments worth over $800, regardless of origin, may experience multi-day delays”, the BBC report said.

The company said it will still deliver packages worth less than $800, which can be sent to the US with minimal checks.

However, this segment also faces a challenge – with the US set to tighten curbs on these deliveries too – specifically those sent from China and Hong Kong – on May 2 when it closes a loophole allowing low-value packages to enter the US without incurring any duties.

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”.

The White House said the measures were aimed at “addressing the synthetic opioid supply chain”, which it said “plays a significant role in the synthetic opioid crisis in the US”.

Last week, Hongkong Post said it was suspending packages sent to the US by sea and, from April 27, would stop accepting parcels destined for America.
IANS