“As a result of recent US Customs regulatory updates, we are experiencing multi-day transit delays to the US from any origin for shipments with a declared customs value exceeding USD 800,” DHL said in a statement.
US President Donald Trump has launched a wide-ranging trade war since coming to office. As part of those changes, the government has also lowered the threshold at which parcels to individuals require formal entry processing by US Customs — down to US$800 from US$2,500 as of April 5.
“This change has caused a surge in formal customs clearances, which we are handling around the clock,” said DHL.
The company added that business-to-business shipments would not be affected by the suspension, “though they may also face delays.” (AFP)