Overseas postal traffic to the United States has dropped by more than 80% since the Trump administration suspended a trade exemption rule late last month.

The United Nations’ Universal Postal Union (UPU) said it saw postal traffic en route to the United States “come to a near halt” after Aug. 29, 2025, NPR reported.

That’s when the Trump administration lifted a “de minimis” trade exemption allowing small packages worth less than $800 to be exempt from its sweeping tariff regime.

Data between postal operators show that traffic dropped 81% on Aug. 29 compared to a week earlier, according to NPR. The postal union said it was working on ways to get traffic flowing back to the United States.

The bottom line for consumers: The era of cheap online shopping is over, at least for now.

In 2024,

See Full Page