Dhaka, Aug. 24 -- Several European postal services have suspended shipments of packages to the United States after Washington ended a long-standing tariff exemption for low-value imports, creating widespread uncertainty over new customs procedures.

The "de minimis" exemption - which allowed packages worth less than $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free - expired Friday. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 1.36 billion packages worth $64.6 billion were shipped under the scheme in 2024 alone.

With the exemption gone, packages from Europe under $800 will now face tariffs, following a trade framework agreed between Washington and the European Union that imposed a 15% duty on most EU exports.

Postal authorities in Germany, Denmark, ...