Boxed in by shifting tariff rules, European shippers pause some U.S.

Many European parcel companies — including DHL, the Royal Mail, and the French and Spanish national post offices — are temporarily suspending some shipments to the U.S., citing new U.S. tariff policies that kick in this week.

And while the financial costs of tariffs have dominated trade news this summer, in this case, it's not so much the money as the paperwork that's a stumbling block.

An executive order from President Trump will end the "de minimis" rule, which allowed individual packages worth less than $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free, effective August 29. The "de minimis" rule (sometimes called a loophole) had already been eliminated for China and Hong Kong , but is now being suspended for all countries.

Letters are not affected by the new rules. Also, gifts worth less th