The duty exemption for small packages shipped to the United States (US) ended at midnight (5:01 a.m. in Lisbon), with the imposition of customs tariffs leading several countries to suspend deliveries. The exemption allowed goods worth less than $800 (€685) to be shipped without having to pay a surcharge upon entering US soil, according to ECO.

By executive order published on July 30, US President Donald Trump decided to eliminate the exemptions, stating that he wanted to "end a catastrophic failure used, among other things, to avoid customs duties and ship synthetic opioids and other dangerous products." Only "good-faith gifts" received privately and valued at less than $100 (85 euros) continue to benefit from the exemption.

According to the Customs and Border Protection Agency, small orders account for 98% of narcotics, 97% of counterfeits, and 70% of dangerous health products seized in 2024.

"Closing this loophole will save thousands of lives by reducing the flow of narcotics and dangerous and prohibited products," a US official assured at a press conference, as quoted by AFP.

The number of postal packages has skyrocketed in the United States, rising, according to official data, from 134 million units in 2015 to over 1.36 billion in 2024. From now on, with the exception of "gifts" valued at less than $100, packages are subject to the same customs duties as any other imported good, that is, a minimum of 10%, or 15% for those from European Union countries, or up to 50% for India and Brazil.

It is important to remember that, as of August 26, CTT – Correios de Portugal – temporarily suspended the "transportation of postal shipments containing these goods to the United States for all mail, universal service parcel, and international express parcel products" due to the "discontinuation of the de minimis regime (exemption from customs duties for imported goods)" by the United States.

At the time, and following the lead of other companies in the sector, the postal company pointed out that the change to the de minimis regime in the US "directly affects international postal flows and requires senders to pay customs duties before shipment to the US." "The details of the new requirements are not yet fully clarified by US customs authorities and will require operational adaptations by postal companies worldwide," the group led by João Bento stated on August 25.