Postal Services to the US Drop Sharply Following New Tariffs
Geneva: There has been a significant decline in postal services to the United States, with traffic dropping by over 80 percent. This steep fall comes after the US government introduced new tariffs, leading to 88 postal operators around the world to either fully or partially halt their services, according to the Universal Postal Union (UPU).
Masahiko Metoki, the UPU’s director general, stated that the agency is actively developing a technical solution to help resume mail deliveries to the US as quickly as possible.
In late July, the administration of US President Donald Trump announced the removal of a tax exemption on small packages entering the country, effective from August 29. This decision prompted a wave of responses from postal services in various countries, including Australia, the UK, France, Germany, India, Italy, and Japan, which announced they would no longer accept most packages destined for the US.
The UPU noted that data from its electronic network indicated an 81 percent drop in postal traffic to the US on August 29 compared to the previous week. Additionally, many postal operators, including Germany’s Deutsche Post, Britain’s Royal Mail, and two operators in Bosnia and Herzegovina, reported suspensions of their services to the US until a resolution is found.
The UPU, headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, has been facilitating international postal cooperation since its establishment in 1874. It currently encompasses 192 member countries and sets the standards for mail exchange worldwide while aiming to enhance postal services.
