MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Postal Corp. (PhlPost) announced that it has temporarily stopped accepting mail and parcels bound for the United States.
“This is due to the USA’s suspension of the duty-free de minimis exemption and new customs requirements intended to prevent service delays and customer inconvenience,” the PhlPost said in a statement.
The de minimis exemption allowed items valued under $800 to enter the US with no import tax.
The suspension took effect on Aug. 22.
For items that have already been lodged, PhlPost said customers could ask for a retrieval and refund by submitting required documents.
Last July, US President Donald Trump decided to end the de minimis trade agreement, a long-time global tariff exemption that has been widely used by buyers of low-cost goods.