PHLPost suspends acceptance of mail, parcels bound for the US 'until further notice'
The Philippine Postal Corporation has suspended the acceptance of all mail and parcels bound for the United States until further notice.
In a statement on Sept. 2, PHLPost said the suspension took effect on Aug. 28 and covers all postal items accepted as of Aug. 22.
It cited as reasons the US suspension of the duty-free de minimis exemption and new customs requirements "intended to prevent service delays and customer inconvenience."
Customers whose items were already lodged may request retrieval and refund in accordance with existing guidelines by submitting the required documents.
"Updates will be issued once services resume. We ask for the public's kind understanding and cooperation," PHLPost said.
US President Donald Trump, on July 30, signed an executive order ending the de minimis exemption worldwide, which had allowed low-value commercial shipments to enter the country without tariffs.
The order said that starting Aug. 29, all shipments that are valued at or under $800 (P45,900)—except those sent through the international postal network—shall be subject to "all applicable duties, taxes, fees, exactions, and charges."
Goods shipped through the international postal system will be assessed either via ad valorem duty, a tariff based on the product’s value and country of origin, or specific duty, a flat fee of $80 to $200 (P4,500 to P11,400) per item. The latter is available for six months, after which all shipments must follow the ad valorem duty system.
Trump said his order is a means of "putting an end to the proliferation of shippers worldwide that, among other things, deceptively exploit the de minimis privilege in an effort to evade duties, inspection, and US law."
It's also a part of his "promise to 'put an end' to the 'big scam' of de minimis shipments killing Americans and hurting US businesses."
The order noted that between 2015 and 2024, the annual volume of de minimis shipments entering the US increased from 134 million shipments to over 1.36 billion shipments, with the US Customs processing over four million de minimis shipments daily.
Before his order went global, Trump suspended the de minimis treatment for low-value packages from China and Hong Kong starting May 2. He noted that the two countries account for the majority of de minimis shipments to the US.
Per Reuters, retail and trade analysts say the end of de minimis is likely to raise prices for many goods sold through e-commerce companies, as those that previously avoided tariffs because of the exemption become subject to duties. It's also likely to curb trade on peer-to-peer platforms like eBay and Etsy, which are used by small businesses to sell secondhand, vintage, or handmade items.
The de minimis exemption has been in place since 1938, starting at $5 (P280) for gift imports, and was raised from $200 (P11,500) to $800 (P45,900) in 2015 to foster small business growth on e-commerce marketplaces.
