The Belgian postal company, bpost, is temporarily suspending the shipment of goods to the US amid changes to import tax rules, a bpost spokesperson confirmed to The Brussels Times.
The interruption, effective from 23 August, impacts packages and letters containing goods from Belgium to the US; Written letters remain unaffected.
The shipment disruptions follow a US executive order to end the tax exemption for all goods below $800 imported to the US, also known as the ‘De minimis’ treatment.
While the tax changes are set to take effect from 29 August, postal services have yet to receive clarification on “critical issues” such as the process for collecting customs duties, according to Cerrada Crespo.
Additionally, bpost argues that it did not receive sufficient time to adapt to the technical requirements for the changes, as American authorities only shared select requirements on 15 August.
“That’s why we are suspending the services because we don’t want people to send goods or gifts and then for it to be blocked [in the US] or for them to be asked to pay something else,” said bpost spokesperson Laura Cerrada Crespo.
It is currently unclear when shipment services will resume, although the Belgian company is “working to develop a solution as quickly as possible” in consultation with international partners.
Earlier this week, other European postal companies, namely PostNord and Omniva, also announced similar interruptions to shipments to the US.
If the issues are not resolved soon, other postal services may follow suit, warned the trade association for European postal service operators, PostEurop, on Wednesday.
The impact of the disruptions, particularly for businesses, is uncertain. The Flemish business association Voka is currently analysing the approaches of other delivery companies, according to spokesperson Eric Laureys. “We’re hoping this situation is only temporary,” he added.
