by Linda Straker
- Immediate suspension of shipment of small parcels and packages valued up to US$800 to US
- Jamaica Post, St Vincent and the Grenadines Post and several other postal services have similar suspensions
- GPC advised that letters without goods will be accepted
The Board of the Grenada Postal Corporation (GPC), as of 28 August, has suspended the shipment of all small parcels and packages valued up to US$800 to the United States due to new US regulations which go into effect on 29 August.
“This follows new US regulations ending the duty-free exemption on items under US$800 which now requires prepaid customs duties and complex electronic filings,” said a notice on the GPC’s Facebook page. “GPC is working closely with international partners to restore service as soon as possible,” said the notice, which advised that letters without goods will be accepted.
According to a release from the GPC, key impacts for customers include:
- All parcels and small packages containing goods to the US are suspended
- Beginning 29 August 2025, all goods entering the US will be subject to customs duties from the first dollar
- Only documents (letter mail without goods) will continue to be accepted
- Senders must now prepay customs duties, shifting responsibility from the recipients
- Every shipment must be pre-filed electronically with US Customs, using their new documentation requirements
Last month, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that eliminates the exemption for international shipments worth US$800. The executive order stated that purchases that previously entered the US without needing to clear customs will require vetting and be subject to their origin country’s applicable tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
In the Caribbean region, Jamaica Post, St Vincent and the Grenadines Post and several other postal services have also announced the suspension of sending all parcels and packets bound for the United States.
Internationally, several courier services and airlines have announced a halt to transporting parcels and packages to the US. The Trump administration said the exemption has become a loophole that foreign businesses exploit to evade tariffs and criminals use it to get drugs, counterfeit products and other contraband into the US.
Called de minimis exemption, it allows goods valued at US$800 or less to enter the US without paying any tariffs. US consumers relied on the exemption to buy cheap clothes and household items from online shopping sites.
Hundreds of Grenadians shop online, and their goods come to Grenada through the Grenada Postal Corporation’s services.
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