• Taiwan's state postal service will halt acceptance of commercial mail to the US starting August 26, 2025.
  • The suspension is a direct response to the US suspension of the Duty-Free De Minimis Exemption, which has disrupted international shipping logistics.
  • Taiwanese exporters and e-commerce sellers are scrambling for alternatives, facing higher costs and potential delays.

Taiwan’s Chunghwa Post announced it will suspend all acceptance and delivery of commercial mail items destined for the United States effective August 26, a move that underscores the widening impact of shifting US customs regulations on global trade networks. The decision, confirmed in a public notice, comes as a direct result of recent changes to US import rules, specifically the suspension of the long-standing Duty-Free De Minimis Exemption.

This regulatory shift has created significant operational hurdles for international postal services, making the processing of small, low-value commercial parcels economically unviable under the new framework. Without the exemption, each item now requires full customs declaration, a cumbersome and costly procedure that has effectively halted the flow of such mail. A person familiar with the matter described the logistical challenges as "insurmountable under the current framework," forcing the suspension.

The suspension presents an immediate and severe challenge for Taiwanese businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises and e-commerce vendors reliant on affordable shipping to the vast US consumer market. These sellers now face the prospect of significantly higher shipping costs and complex customs paperwork, potentially pricing them out of competitiveness or forcing cancellations of orders. US consumers, in turn, should anticipate delays or the non-arrival of goods ordered from Taiwan.

Efforts to find a solution are underway, according to people familiar with the discussions, but no viable alternative has been established. Chunghwa Post, which also provides banking and insurance services, is understood to be evaluating other logistics partnerships, though these would likely come at a premium cost. The postal service did not immediately respond to a request for further comment on its contingency plans.

This is not the first time Chunghwa Post has been forced to suspend international services; previous halts were largely tied to COVID-19-related transportation disruptions. However, the current suspension is notably different, rooted in a policy change rather than a logistical one, suggesting a more protracted challenge. The development mirrors a broader global trend of tightening import regulations and increased customs enforcement, which is disrupting international logistics networks far beyond the US-Taiwan corridor.