This week, Swiss Post announced it would stop accepting parcels bound for America from 26 August 2025. The suspension, which follows similar moves by other European postal operators, stems from new American customs rules requiring every package—regardless of size or value—to be declared and cleared. Letters, documents and express deliveries remain unaffected.
The change follows the Trump administration’s decision to abolish the US$800 duty-free allowance for imports, originally introduced to counter the flood of low-cost shipments from Chinese e-commerce firms such as Temu and Shein. The measure has since been extended to all countries. European parcels will now face tariffs of 15%; those from Switzerland, 39%, after an earlier hike.
Uncertainties remain about how the new rules will be implemented, prompting Swiss Post to suspend shipments in coordination with the government. Small gifts worth less than US$100 may soon be exempt, it says. America is not a huge market—only about 0.2% of Swiss Post’s 180 million annual parcels head there—but the disruption could still affect some 360,000 packages a year, said the postal firm.
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Swiss Post statement (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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