DHL restricts parcel shipments to the US

Due to new customs regulations, DHL is significantly restricting parcel shipments from Germany to the US.

The Bonn-based group, which also operates under the Deutsche Post brand domestically, announced that for the time being, only parcels declared as gifts with contents valued up to 100 US dollars will be transported there. Parcels from private individuals exceeding this value can only be sent to the US as more expensive express shipments from Saturday. This applies to all parcels from business customers from Tuesday.

"The majority of private customer parcels to the US are already below the 100-dollar threshold, so private customers are comparatively less affected by the new regulations," a DHL spokesperson said. He emphasised that the restrictions should only be temporary. How long is unclear. Other national postal companies have already taken similar steps, such as Austrian Post, Belgian bpost and Swedish-Danish Postnord.

According to a decree from US President Donald Trump, the duty-free allowance for imported goods with a value of less than 800 dollars will be abolished from August 29. Tariffs of 80 to 200 dollars will then be due per item. DHL's announcement stated that key questions remain unanswered, "in particular, how and by whom the customs fees will be levied in the future, what additional data is required and how the data will be transmitted to the US customs authority."