Mexico suspends postal shipments to the US over latest tariff confusion

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico said Wednesday its postal service was suspending package shipments to the United States ahead of an end to the exemption on tariff duties for low-value packages by the Trump administration.

The announcement follows similar moves by postal services from the European Union and several other countries to pause shipping as they await more clarity on the U.S. measure. It also comes during monthslong negotiations between the Mexican government and the Trump administration to avoid wider tariffs.

The exemption — known as the “ de minimis” exemption, which allows packages worth less than $800 to come into the U.S. duty free — is ending Friday. A total of 1.36 billion packages were sent in 2024 under this exemption, for goods worth $64.6 billion, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Mexico’s government said its postal service, Correos de Mexico, will temporarily suspend package deliveries to the U.S., starting Wednesday.

“Mexico continues its dialogue with U.S. authorities and international postal organizations to define mechanisms that will allow for the orderly resumption of services, providing certainty to users and avoiding setbacks in the delivery of goods,” the statement read.

With the announcement, Mexico joins several European and other countries, including Australia and Japan, in suspending the shipments to the U.S. amid confusion over new import duties.

Yunnueth Hernández brought her two children to the post office Wednesday to send a letter to a relative in the U.S., to show them “how we used to communicate” before emails and internet, but left disappointed.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t send it because they told us with the tariffs, shipments to the U.S. were canceled,” she said.

Outside the building, a woman was in tears after being unable to send a 10-page letter and photographs to her boyfriend in the U.S.

Mexico has tried to negotiate with U.S. President Donald Trump to avoid increased tariffs by taking more aggressive security measures against the country’s drug cartels and sending dozens of imprisoned cartel figures to the U.S. for prosecution.

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Associated Press videojournalist Fernanda Pesce in Mexico City contributed to this report.