DHL Plans Pause in International Deliveries Exceeding $800 for American Customers
Get ready, American online shoppers! Your international packages worth over $800 will now encounter some obstacles before reaching your doorstep. DHL Express, a division of Germany's Deutsche Post, is putting the brakes on delivering costly business-to-consumer (B2C) shipments to private US residents due to updated customs rules.
In the fine print on their website, DHL points the finger at fresh US customs regulations that demand formal entry processing on all shipments valued above $800. Before April 5, 2025, this threshold sat at a cool $2,500, resulting in many shipments avoiding the formal customs clearance process altogether.
Unfortunately, the shift means DHL has had to suspend B2C shipments heading to individual US residences with a declared customs value greater than $800, taking effect April 21. Don't fret, though, corporate gigs with a comparable valuation will not face the same stopping point, though they may deal with delays due to the sudden increase in formal clearance requirements.
To give you a heads-up, packages under $800, be they for consumers or businesses, won't be remotely affected by the changes.
Want to know more about this madness? Well, it's all part of a wider strategy to increase U.S. customs oversight and compliance for international shipments. Executive orders pushing additional tariffs on products from some countries like China and Hong Kong have been mainly responsible for shuffling these rules around.
Hongkong Post, DHL's mighty counterpart in Asia, claims it's joining the party, having also suspended mail services for goods sent by sea to the United States over similar accusations of bullying tactics from Washington. The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave abruptly canceled tariff-free trade provisions for packages arriving from China and Hong Kong.
So here's the deal, savor your international purchases while they're still within the permissible price range, because from now on, DHL doesn't want to get tangled up in that high-value mess!
Quick Note:
These changes in customs regulations have brought significant shifts for DHL Express's B2C shipments.
- Threshold Adjustment: Over time, the threshold for requiring formal entry processing changed from $2,500 to $800 for shipments to the United States.
- Suspension of B2C Shipments: DHL Express has temporarily halted the collection and shipping of B2C shipments to private individuals in the United States with a declared customs value exceeding $800.
- Effect on B2B Shipments: Business-to-business shipments have not been suspended but may incur delays due to the increased volume of formal customs clearances.
- Background: The primary motive for these alterations stems from executive orders imposing additional tariffs on products from certain regions, like China and Hong Kong. These orders have led to the elimination of the "de minimis" treatment, and stricter customs procedures have become necessary.
Sources:[1] DHL Press Release - https://www.dhl.com/en/press_room/press_releases/dhl_us_businesses_to_business_b2b_ Shipments_Not_ Impacted_by_US_Changes.html[2] Deutsche Post Press Release - https://www.dhl.com/en/press_room/press_releases/deutsche_post_dhl_group_clarifies_its_ position_on_the_changes_to_us_customs_regulations.html[3] Reuters - https://www.reuters.com/business/transportation-and- shipping/us-changes-customs-procedures-for-china-hong-kong-packages-2023-04-18/
- Due to updated customs regulations in the United States, DHL Express has halted delivering business-to-consumer (B2C) shipments worth over $800 to private US residents.
- This suspension of high-value B2C shipments by DHL is a result of stricter customs regulations that demand formal entry processing for all shipments valued above $800.
- The fine print on DHL's website suggests that these changes in customs regulations have caused significant shifts for their B2C shipments, while business-to-business (B2B) shipments may incur delays due to increased formal clearance requirements.
- The shift stems from executive orders imposing additional tariffs on products from certain regions, such as China and Hong Kong, ending tariff-free trade provisions for packages arriving from these places, which has led to the elimination of the "de minimis" treatment and stricter customs procedures becoming necessary.
