Postal traffic is to the U.S. is still down about 70% five weeks after the end of the “de minimis” exemption that spared low-value packages from duties and packages, the United Nations postal agency said Friday.
On Friday, the UPU said “only a handful” of those had resumed operations to the U.S.
Bern, Switzerland-based UPU said it is rolling out technology that will help members calculate, collect and remit required duties to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection through the UPU’s Customs Declaration System.
“Postal services are essential services,” said Lati Matata, Director of the UPU’s Postal Technology Centre, in a statement. The technology, an application programming interface, or API, will allow “every postal operator in (UPU’s) network – no matter how big or small – to meet customs requirements to ensure that citizens worldwide, including U.S citizens, receive their postal items,” Matata said.
While the change applies to the products of every country, U.S. residents will not have to pay duties on incoming gifts valued at up to $100, or on up to $200 worth of personal souvenirs from trips abroad, according to the White House.
