"European postal services suspend shipment of parcels to U.S." Topic

The end of an exemption on tariff duties for low-value packages coming into the United States is causing multiple international postal services to pause shipping as they await more clarity on the rule.

The exemption, known as the " de minimis" exemption, allows packages worth less than $800 USD to come into the U.S. duty free. A total of 1.36 billion packages were sent in 2024 under this exemption, for goods worth $64.6 USD billion, according to data from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agency.

It is set to expire on Friday. On Saturday, postal services around Europe announced that they are suspending the shipment of many packages to the United States amid confusion over new import duties.

Postal services in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Italy said they will stop shipping most merchandise to the U.S. effective immediately. France and Austria will follow on Monday.

More at link link

Spanish Mail has announced a temporary suspension too. I'm still to go and try tomorrow with a small, letter-sized package, to see what happens. If even such a small parcel is rejected, then sadly I'll have to cancel US orders and refund them.

Lluís
minairons.eu

Lluis, I'd recommend waiting a week or two before cancelling. Governments are usually fairly efficient in setting up ways for us to pay them money. One of the British manufacturers seemed to think the Royal Mail would have a system in place in 7-10 days. And a few years back the "end of the world is coming" fuss in the US was the application of sales tax to on line purchases, based on the recipient's location. (Sales tax rates are set by a number of different jurisdictions here, not all at the same level of government.) In the event, it was close to seamless.

Mind you, you may have to notify people that pending orders will require payment of sales tax before shipment. I'm half expecting to be caught in one of those myself.

robert p, BZ (well done). .

We waited a lot longer than 7-10 days for them to sort out a similar issue after Brexit and smaller businesses still have problems.

I'd like to see more transparency from the US customs about how they plan to help solve the problems.

I just got a email from Triguard Miniatures in New Zealand.

So for now, we will not be able to fill any orders from the USA until further notice. As soon as the situation becomes clearer we will provide an update.

So, it's not just Europe and Britain.

I guess that included Pulp Figures? Bob is in Canada.

Smuggle them across the border on a bicycle.

The fallout is extending beyond mail carriers. Starting Aug. 25, online marketplace Etsy Inc. plans to suspend its shipping label service for national mail services in Australia, Canada and the UK for U.S.-bound packages, according to its website.

India has also stopped shipments, though that probably does not affect wargamers much.

I expect a few weeks delay on pretty much everything but the Customs Service and Postal Service will sort it out for foreign providers. Given that this has been the case for Chinese firms since May, you would think the implementation and communication would have been a bit more professional than the ready, fire, aim school of government.

I don't think it will be very easy to fix unless,

As noted somewhere else, Hannants are saying they don't even know what the tarrifs would be on some of the products they supply as it hasn't been set yet. So they can't precalculate costs.

Smuggle them across the border on a bicycle.

You renegade. lol

I don't think it will be very easy to fix unless,

Secondly, this is primarily aimed at closing the Temu-loophole that has allowed them to deluge the US with cheap Chinese cr@p that actually costs the USPS more to process and deliver than the value of the Chinese product. The "de minimis" rule was intended to facilitate low volume low value goods like the stuff gamers buy, not tens of millions of products flooding in from China.

So if you're annoyed at the need to correct this, thank China!

Hopefully, as robert piepenbrink said, the governments involved will settle this soon, 'cause money.

Hopefully, as robert piepenbrink said, the governments involved will settle this soon, 'cause money.

As Plato said, "To err is human. But to really screw things up, put the government in charge."

It doesn't help the glacial pace of government when the mercurial Person in Charge (naming no names) changes his mind every fortnight.

SB +1

Pulp Figures in Canada has also announced a suspension of shipments to the US. Very sad. This is going to be a huge problem for everyone.

What about packages NOT merchandise? I've seen some posts about people afraid to send birthday gifts -- is the "Gift" designation on a foreign shipment good enough to avoid the new tariff wars?

I perceive from the above discussion that the real reason the tariffs are causing as much trouble as they are is the speed they are imposed and what appears to be a significant lack of planning.
People need certainty.
I am not surprised companies are playing it safe. I just hope all my fellow gamers on TMP do not suffer too much, and that it doesn't impact our figure manufacturers too severely.

Here is an explanation, in simple terms, that even the experts on tmp should be able to grasp.

link

Secondly, this is primarily aimed at closing the Temu-loophole that has allowed them to deluge the US with cheap Chinese cr@p that actually costs the USPS more to process and deliver than the value of the Chinese product. The "de minimis" rule was intended to facilitate low volume low value goods like the stuff gamers buy, not tens of millions of products flooding in from China.

So if you're annoyed at the need to correct this, thank China!

Then why wasn't the de minimis rule eliminated for a handful of problematic countries? Why do it for every country?

And why is eliminating the de minimis exception suddenly an emergency to be deployed within a month?

Hopefully, as robert piepenbrink said, the governments involved will settle this soon, 'cause money.

It's going to cost the American consumer for really no good reason. I understand the tariffs have raised trillions in just few months and maybe some of that can get applied to the US deficit.

I understand the tariffs have raised trillions in just few months and maybe some of that can get applied to the US deficit.

😄 Oh, you're good, Sir. Call HBO to see if you can get a comedy special. 👍

CBO projects that the tariffs will reduce the national debt by 4 Trillion dollars over the next decade and reduce interest payments on the national debt by 0.7 Trillion dollars.

link

Update on shipments using Spanish Mail: Yes I was able to pass a small package destined to the US yesterday. As the kind official told me, they would take parcels valued less than EUR 80.00; provided they were also declared as a Gift instead of Merchandise, and both the stated sender and addressee were individuals instead of companies.

This way, the issue for me will consist just of splitting orders larger than EUR 80.00 – albeit with a consequent shipping expense increase.

Lluís
minairons.eu

Excellent summary, StoneMtnMinis. Thank you.

Got an email from Wargames Foundry:

"You may have read in the news that President Trump has instigated new import rules for US residents that take effect on August 29.

Until now there had been a dominium's value of $800 USD below which US residents did not pay any import or customs duties. That deminimus has been abolished and all purchases from the UK into America are now subject to a minimum 10% tariff plus a handling fee.

All UK shippers, in fact most shippers across the world, stopped accepting parcels destined for America over this last weekend pending clarification of how US import duties will be collected and the implication of this new import duty.

These are US import duties imposed by President Trump on American residents that need to be paid to US Customs and Border Protection as each parcel reaches US customs. Parcels that have not had their customs duties prepaid could be subject to a $100 USD-$200 surcharge.

Our shippers, Royal mail, tell us that the new system should be operating in 2 to 3 days and that when the parcel is shipped, they will charge us for duty and handling charges.

Regrettably, what this means for your order is that we need to collect these import duties before your order is shipped. We are, therefore, sending you an additional invoice to cover the 10% US customs charges."

China originating packages have been excluded from the de minimus exemption since May.

The current broad ending of the de minimus treatment of UK and EU packages has nothing to do with China as their exemption ended 4 months ago.

😄 Oh, you're good, Sir. Call HBO to see if you can get a comedy special. 👍

Sometimes, when it's a complete disaster, all you have left is laughter.

CBO projects that the tariffs will reduce the national debt by 4 Trillion dollars over the next decade and reduce interest payments on the national debt by 0.7 Trillion dollars.

This seems to be a recent MAGA talking point. Apparently, they've discovered that when you impose tariffs on American consumers, you raise revenue. Most of us know this to be a consumer tax.

My goodness. How facile it is to tie a deranged trans shooter into a discussion on tariffs.
👍
That clarifies everything. Did Democrats endorse him/her/them? We haven't been issued the appropriate pronouns yet, but I don't think that the shooter included tariffs in "their" manifesto. Maybe we'll find out tomorrow.

Sounds like someone thinks there should be enhanced checks on people before they are allowed to buy guns.

What an incredibly radical idea. Surprised no one ever thought of that before 🙄

John there is nothing difficult about the tariff discussion. They have been around forever and used against for as long.

Oh…. and the connection is not to the tariffs. It is obviously to the TDS that is being spewed 🤮 by those complaining about the tariffs. Actually in about any ultramodern discussion anymore.

Again. What does a deranged shooter have to do with tariffs? 🤔

Actually, I consider TDS to be a quite valid approach. 😄

Actually, I consider TDS to be a quite valid approach. 😄

It's TDS to have problems with tariffs being unilaterally created, most illegally or eliminate-able by courts, congress or a successor, by one viewpoint who probably can't spell the word?

I love how having the slightest disagreement with He Who Must Not Be Named is immediately countered by shrieking, pearl clutching, whining about TDS. Some folk, naming no names, absolutely love acronyms.

No names, but it seems quite the opposite to me. Seems like my side are the reasonable ones and the others are the shrieking whiners. 😂

I guess it is perspective. The right one… my side obviously and of course the wrong one. 😉

There's the Reverse TDS, where everything he does is automatically the bestest genius thing ever.
And his proposing, canceling, bringing it back and pounding down again is, again, pure genius negotiating. Ah, "The Art of the Deal"!

@ John the OFM

There's the Reverse TDS, where everything he does is automatically the bestest genius thing ever.
And his proposing, canceling, bringing it back and pounding down again is, again, pure genius negotiating. Ah, "The Art of the Deal"!

That's because it's neither about policy nor ideology, it's about punishment and retribution.

That's why authoritarian moves such as unjustifiably heavy tariffs, punishment for publishing unfavorable economic data and large state ownership in private companies can be overlooked by a group who pretend that socialism is the worst sin ever.

Meanwhile, can it still be called TDS when even the subject seems to suffer from it?

For American gamers, this de minimis elimination will see price increases and Customs headaches. Some of the domestic makers of miniatures might benefit from this situation. I might have to renew my Old Army Card to buy more reasonably priced 18mm miniatures in order to offset the coming rise in AB miniatures prices.

I love how having the slightest disagreement with He Who Must Not Be Named is immediately countered by shrieking, pearl clutching, whining about TDS.

And He Who Shall Not Be Named is now using the term ad nauseum as he continues to talk more and more about himself…."Thing 1 and Thing 2".

Dam# that evil man!! Devil 😈

CNN
"The US economy's rebound in the second quarter was stronger than previously reported

Updated 10:26 AM EDT August 28, 2025
Washington

Gross domestic product, which measures all the goods and services produced in the economy, registered an annualized rate of 3.3% from April through June, the Commerce Department said in its second estimate released Thursday. That's up from the 3% rate in the first estimate."

How could he!!?? 😱😱😱

And THIS 😱😱

"NEW: DC Mayor Muriel Bowser says she's *GRATEFUL* for Trump's crime crackdown🚨

"We greatly appreciate the surge of officers that enhance what MPD has been able to do."

"For carjackings, the difference between this 20-day period of this federal surge and last year represents a 87% reduction in carjackings."

The country is collapsing!!!

🫨

Now I return you to:

"When in trouble and in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout!!"

😂

Wow, lots of funny gibberish on this thread … lol.

Seriously … back to the topic at hand … here's the current list of countries suspending shipments to the USA …

Australia
Austria
Belgium
China
Czechia
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
India
Italy
Japan
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Russia
Singapore
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
United Kingdom

And they are all wrong and don't know what they are doing….

… just to save some time 🙄

Looks like there's a sucky period followed by a better period in March 2026 year when the tariff regime will be nailed down and our hobby stuff subject to zero tariff (as long as the manufacturer and shipper designate it as "HTS 9503, which covers "Other toys; reduced‑size ('scale') models & similar recreational models.")

In the meantime, the impact to US resellers can be minimized by efficient ordering, so maybe more UK and European manufacturers can engage resellers? Dunno how that works. Also, why can't European 3D print shops engage US print shops to resell their STL products in the US instead of print-ship themselves, so they profit from either a flat license or a piece rate or royalty rate with less hassle?

I just got an email from Victrix that says we're all good already -- no need to freak out.

Dear US Customers,

We are pleased to announce that shipping to the United States has now resumed!

As of August 28th, Royal Mail has rolled out new electronic customs and duty declaration systems, which allow us to begin sending parcels to the US once again. While the process is still being refined, orders are now moving through the new system. Please allow some slight delays as we carefully navigate the new procedures. If anything changes we will let you know.

As part of these changes, most products shipped to the US are now subject to a 10% import duty. I'm sure it won't come as a surprise that we've had to make a 10% adjustment to our US prices to reflect this. This increase simply allows us to cover the new duty charges. There's an additional handling fee too for each package, but we will cover that.

The good news is that books remain exempt from these duties, so rulesets like Pillage are unaffected and available at the usual price.

So now while imports of games from the UK and EU into the US can resume, looks like there will be a standing 10% tariff on non-book games, which is about what US game companies shipping to the EU and UK deal with now. Usually they have to cover (or charge clients) the few percent import charge, and then customers have to be charged that dratted VAT that can be up to 25% in some countries.

…and this is temporary and on February 28th the dust will have settled and the impact to our hobby from that point will be negligible?

"Temporary"??? Where did you get that?
Do you mean that the "uncertainty" is only temporary? Or the tariffs are temporary?
It's like the price of gasoline.
Years ago, it was $2 USD/gallon. (I remember paying only $.25 USD, but I'm not a spring chicken. Bear with me.)
Then a war breaks out. It doesn't matter where. It shoots up to $3.00 USD, but then we're supposed to be grateful when it falls to $2.75 USD.
Then, another crisis. Shoots up to $3.50 USD. Falls to $3.00 USD.
Latest crisis, it went up to $4.25 USD in these parts. Now I'm supposed to be grateful that sound diplomacy brings it down to $3.20 USD.
Note, I live in Pennsylvania, where gas tax pays to not repair roads.

So, when the tariff prices settle down, we can all be grateful for the money that somehow isn't reducing the deficit.

"Taxation WITH representation!"

SBS, depending on the size of the company and whether or not it is VAT registered, there is either NO VAT on exports, or the VAT is already included in the price. If the company is big enough, sales to the US could well be at a LOWER PRICE than in Europe before shipping costs and tariffs.

Alternatively. Everyone gets the government they deserve.

Sieg Heil!

OR -- get a clue and understand what the District of Columbia is instead of running off to make a Godwin's Law violation!

1. The FEDERAL District of Columbia is a FEDERAL ZONE established IN THE US CONSTITUTION as the small national seat of Federal government.

2. This FEDERAL ZONE is subject ONLY to the control of the Federal Government, so it cannot be shut down, blockaded (it's on a major river with ocean access) or impeded by the States. This is so surrounding States like Virginia and Maryland cannot pressure and control the seat of government.

3. The District of Columbia was DIRECTLY MANAGED by the Congress and Federal Government from 1788 until 1973 -- that's 185 years of direct government control.

4. The leftist "anti-War" Democrats who controlled Congress in 1973 passed the "Home Rule Act" to delegate daily management of the District of Columbia to a newly empowered local government, which was given the authority to hire and fire, set and implement local governance policies, manage police, fire and public safety services, etc.

5. Over the last 52 years of SINGLE PARTY DEMOCRAT RULE the District of Columbia has fallen into a near failed city status with rampant cronyism and corruption, leading inept and incompetent public "leaders" who grift the system to line their own pockets while the city suffers.

So you recall during Jan 6 NG occupation of DC that NG soldiers were complaining about the poor and even dangerous quality of food they were given? That's because a Sole Source Contract for DC catering services given to a pal of the DC Council who pocketed cash and served sh1te to our soldiers.

Or the wonderful Mayor of DC, Marion Barry, who was caught doing hookers and crack cocaine by an undercover anti-drug unit, and when arrested famously cried out "The B1tch set me up!" and then played the victim and race game to stay in office as long as he could.

Those folks, and some people and neighborhoods of DC do well. Government and the vast network of Lobbyists and NGOs that suck at the public teat get paid very well. EIGHT of the ten wealthiest Counties in America border the District of Columbia.

Inside the District of Columbia you have a bastion of peace in the Northwest zone with affluent neighborhoods like Georgetown, Mount Pleasant. and so on with average incomes of between $150,000 USD to $200,000 USD per year.

But the REST of the District of Columbia is an impoverished, dysfunctional, crime ridden dangerous sh1tehole – that's the Northeast and Southeast zones where the average income is more like $30,000 USD per year, and where on average crime results in a murder every 34 hours. Violent Crime is over 200% the national average, about 1000 people get shot each year in DC despite their draconian gun laws. It is dangerous across the board. And the Chief of Police has been caught editing crime data to make seem like things are getting better. The are not.

I lived there, I experienced it, I know that most of the District is a N0-Go zone where if you get four flat tires you keep driving on the rims to get out.

WHY did we allow this in our nation's capitol? The Local DC government is a failure. Trump lawfully enacted Section 740 of the DC Home Rule Act — "Emergency Control of Police", he didn't invade DC.

What it allows:

If the President determines that "special conditions of an emergency nature exist which require the use of the Metropolitan Police force for federal purposes," then the Mayor of D.C. *shall* provide MPD's services accordingly.

National Guard is doing visibility patrol as a deterrent while Federal Law enforcement has worked with DC police to "flood the zone" to crack down on gangs and criminals and illegals.

So far as I know there have been NO murders for the last two weeks and crime is down across the board.

Not enough, the Congress needs to REVOKE the Home Rule Act, end that disastrously failed experiment and bring DC back under direct control.

As for other Cities, Trump has less power but can do what he did in LA and send in the Guard to protect ICE and Federal agents and facilities while Federal Law Enforcement cracks down in gangs and illegals.

What's mind boggling though, is that Democrats and leftists are FIGHTING TO KEEP CRIMINALS SAFE and keep law abiding people trapped in crime ridden dysfunction and pain.

The Irish Times, never a publication to be overly critical of American governments, has published a similar condemnation.

Unfortunately, for you, it's behind a pay wall, and I'm not going to breach their copyright by cutting and pasting the article.

SB +1

I will now play the game like the other side does against myself and others.

"The Guardian" and "The Irish Times", two left of center publications?! Both NOT EVEN from the U.S.! We know how they feel about Donald Trump and his voters. What do they know about Washington DC or the crime situation there!?

😂

Isn't fun when people do that about what you post?

But ….

"Here's how D.C. crime numbers look since Trump deployed the National Guard
Since the National Guard was posted in Washington, D.C. in August 2025, the city has experienced a significant decrease in violent and property crime, with reports of overall violent crime down nearly 50% in the period since the deployment began, according to a CBS News data analysis. Specific metrics show dramatic drops in carjackings and robberies, although questions persist about whether the crime is being displaced to nearby areas rather than eliminated.

Key Findings
Dramatic Decline in Violent Crime: Data from CBS News shows a 49% drop in violent crime in the nearly three weeks following the National Guard's arrival in August 2025, compared to the same period last year.
Specific Crime Reductions:
Carjackings: There has been an 83% decrease in carjackings.
Robberies: Robberies have seen a 46% reduction.
Homicides: A 57% decrease in homicides was noted in the period from August 7th to August 25th.
Property Crime: Assaults are down 19%, and burglaries are down 48%. "

link

😄😄😄😄😄😄😄
Continue discussion in the thread I just started.

Anyway, that's all I have. Go away now.

The Irish Times, never a publication to be overly critical of American governments, has published a similar condemnation.

Unfortunately, for you, it's behind a pay wall, and I'm not going to breach their copyright by cutting and pasting the article.

Well, no accounting for willful ignorance, is there? I mean, you could find out about the District of Columbia in a 10 second web search. So such a simple task is beyond their journalistic abilities, or they KNOW about DC and prefer to play political games rather than inform you.

Say, I have an idea -- let's try a thought experiment.

1. Your government imports millions of unvetted "migrants" from 3rd world countries

2. Your government gives them preferential treatment and a two-tiered system of justice. They get free housing, free welfare money, free medical care, if caught an offence in some jurisdictions for driving while drunk they are released and allowed to keep their car where a citizen will be incarcerated and their car impounded.

3. Your government lies to you about the scope and destruction of the rising crime caused by this community -- sure, with caveats that they are not "all bad people" -- but enough are to send crime and murder rates up.

4. If people protest this and try to march, or gather outside in protest of a migrant hotel the police will breakup the protest and even arrest people, charging them with Hate Speech and "intent" pre-crimes.

5. So far it sounds like we're in the UK…maybe even Ireland. But let's say your national leadership was elected to clean this mess up -- which makes it firmly in the Unite States now.

6. This national leader was elected on public safety as one key issue, and finds himself in the most bizarre position that his political opposition refuse to protect their own people just to spite him! The Big Blue cities can be really dangerous because of Big Blue policies and actions like the Defund the Police movement, catering to "migrants" and empowering criminal gangs through willful inaction.

7. This national leader's offers of help are rejected and mocked,

"Hah hah, you don't control us! You can't tell us what to do!"

"I want you to take better care of your people, I can send in Federal support and the National Guard to help."

"NO way stinky orangeman bad! You can't tell us what to do!"

"OK, can you at least backstop federal officers operating in your Big Blue city to crack down on organized crime and criminal aliens?"

"NO way Hitlerman, no support for you, we refuse to support time-honored requests for law enforcement support 'cause we hate you and besides, the "migrants" are an important new political constituency."

8. This national leader DOES have LAWFUL oversight and control of ONE jurisdiction, which is Federal District of Columbia. So he can act there, invoking law in th Home Rule Act to do.

9. This national leader also knows he has the LAWFUL AUTHORITY to send Federal units into Blue Cities and if local law enforcement is ordered to withhold support, even emergency support requests as happened in Los Angeles, then he has the LAWFUL AUTHORITY to send in National Guard and military to secure Federal facilities and protect Federal employees. Which is what he has done.

Or do what you're gonna do despite any information you encounter on this and just yawp about OranemanHitler since it makes you feel better, I suppose.