DHL (DPSGY) , one of the largest courier services that U.S. consumers depend on for mail and package deliveries, is responding to President Donald Trump’s recent policy changes, which shook the nation.
On April 2, Trump announced a 10% “baseline” tariff on all countries importing goods to the U.S., with roughly 60 countries seeing higher tariff rates. Tariffs are taxes companies pay to import goods from overseas, and the extra cost is often passed down to consumers through price increases.
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However, on April 9, he switched gears and enforced a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs on all countries (except China), dropping them to a universal rate of 10%. He also raised tariffs on China to a staggering 145%.
DHL makes unwelcome change that will impact consumers
Amid these new changes, DHL recently posted a notice on its website stating that it is facing “multi-day transit delays” regarding shipments to the U.S. that are over $800. This is due to recent U.S. Customs regulatory updates that stem from President Trump’s tariffs.
DHL has lowered the value threshold for shipments that need formal customs entry processing, leading to delays for those above $800.
Image source: Bloomberg/Getty Images
“Effective April 5, 2025, all shipments to the U.S. with a declared customs value over USD 800 require formal entry processing — down from the previous USD 2,500 threshold due to new U.S. Customs regulations,” reads the notice on DHL’s website. “This change has caused a surge in formal customs clearances, which we are handling around the clock.”
Due to these delays, the company has temporarily suspended these shipments, which could inconvenience consumers nationwide.
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“Effective Monday, April 21st, 2025, and until further notice, we will temporarily suspend the collection and shipping of business-to-consumer (B2C) shipments to private individuals in the United States where the declared customs value exceeds USD 800,” reads the notice.
DHL also warned that business-to-business shipments to companies in the U.S., with over $800 in value, will not be affected by the temporary pause; however, they may also face delays.
Large retailers such as Walmart, Costco, and Amazon often use DHL for delivery services.
The courier did not specify how long the pause on these shipments to consumers will last but said that it will post more updates “as the situation evolves.”
Trump’s tariffs receive harsh responses from China
The move from DHL comes after the Hongkong Post suspended the delivery of goods from the U.S. last week due to Trump’s tariffs.
“The U.S. is unreasonable, bullying and imposing tariffs abusively,” said the Hongkong Post in a statement on April 16. “Hongkong Post will definitely not collect any so-called tariffs on behalf of the U.S. and will suspend the acceptance of postal items containing goods destined to the U.S.”
The Hongkong Post also said that it will suspend the acceptance of surface mail, which is the delivery of packages and letters sent via land or sea, to the U.S. Also, starting April 27, it will no longer accept airmail destined to the U.S.
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The Hongkong Post’s decision comes after Trump issued an executive order on April 9 imposing a 120% tax on small parcels under $800 from China, Hong Kong, and Macau.
In addition, per-item postal fees for these parcels are set to increase to $100 on May 2 and to $200 after June 1.
Trump also signed an executive order on April 2 that aims to end a trade rule called “de minimis” on May 2. This rule allows goods from China that are less than $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free with minimal inspections.
He claimed that China uses the loophole to “hide illicit substances and conceal the true contents of shipments sent to the United States through deceptive shipping practices.”
The change is expected to impact Chinese online retailers Temu and Shein, which have grown in popularity among U.S. consumers over the past few years due to their ultra-cheap prices.
Both retailers have already warned customers that they will soon increase their prices due to Trump’s tariffs.
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