DHL is temporarily suspending delivery of packages from other countries valued at more than $800 to US customers following more stringent customs rules under President Donald Trump’s tariffs framework.
The pause, which takes effect Monday and will apply until further notice, affects consumer shipments entering the US from any country, as well as collections.
Business-to-business deliveries will continue, but DHL warned they could face significant delays due to increased border scrutiny.
A shift in customs enforcement has lowered the threshold for simplified import procedures. Where packages worth up to $2,500 once passed through US customs with minimal documentation, those worth above $800 now require formal clearance.
That change, which took effect on April 5, has flooded DHL’s systems and slowed deliveries across the board.
DHL said on its website: “While we are working diligently to scale up and manage this increase, shipments over USD 800 — regardless of origin — may experience multi-day delays.”
It added that the delivery suspension was a “temporary measure, and we will share updates as the situation evolves.”
Packages worth less than $800 remain eligible for quicker processing.
Even those shipments could be affected by a looming crackdown on the “de minimis” rule, a long-standing exemption that allows low-cost imports to skip duties and inspections.
That exemption, which has been a lifeline for online retailers such as Shein and Temu, is set to end on May 2.
Both companies have warned customers that price increases are likely due to the regulatory changes. The rollback is expected to hit goods from China and Hong Kong especially hard as Washington moves to close what it sees as a loophole that has allowed some shippers to avoid tariffs and customs scrutiny.
The Trump Administration has framed the change as a national security measure aimed at curbing the flow of synthetic opioids, accusing some exporters of mislabeling shipments to hide illicit substances.
On Wednesday, Hong Kong’s postal service said it was temporarily ending the delivery of postal items from the US in response to Trump’s tariffs.
The service said it took issue with the US government’s decision to “eliminate the duty-free de minimis treatment for postal items despatched from Hong Kong to the US and increase the tariffs for postal items containing goods to the US starting from May 2.”
