Global Suspension of Mail Services to the U.S. Impact on E-Commerce Platforms

Due to new U.S. tariff policies, several countries have suspended some postal services to the United States.

Countries Involved: Australia, Taiwan, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Japan, and New Zealand.
The Cause: The U.S. will end “de minimis” tariff exemptions starting August 29. All imported mail valued at or below $800 USD will now be subject to customs duties.
Specific Actions:
- Australia Post: Suspended most parcel services to the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
- Taiwan: Suspended commercial/commodity mail to the U.S. starting August 26.
- Japan: Will stop accepting personal gifts and goods worth over $100 USD starting August 27.
What is Still Allowed: Generally, gifts, letters, and documents valued under $100 USD are not affected by these suspensions.

The removal of tax exemptions is hitting online marketplaces hard.

Affected Platforms: Etsy, eBay, and Shopify are seeing a direct impact because they rely on cross-border shipping for low-cost goods.
Market Reaction: Stock prices for Etsy and eBay have dropped recently, and some sellers on Etsy have already stopped shipping to the U.S..
Policy Goal: The U.S. government initially targeted low-price Chinese platforms like SHEIN and Temu to close “trade loopholes,” but the policy now affects global imports.