Danica Davidson
August 25, 2025 
On August 25, Post Japan joined with Swiss Post, the United Kingdom, India, New Zealand, Australia and other countries in saying they will halt shipping parcels to the United States. They all point to the same reason: President Trump’s tariffs. And they’re specifically, especially concerned because President Trump signed an executive order getting rid of the “de minimis” policy.
Under the de minimis policy, things could be shipped to the United States, without being taxed, if they were under $800. This is something that’s been especially popular with shipping Chinese items into America. But this is the last week de minimis is still a thing, and other countries are saying they can’t guarantee packages sent out now will arrive before they start being tariffed, so they don’t want to send the packages at all.
Editor-in-chief of Investopedia Caleb Silver told NBC News, “There is so much uncertainty about how these tariffs are going to be collected. Who will collect these tariffs? What products, if any, will be exempt from these tariffs? And that just adds more uncertainty into an already very confusing picture around tariffs and how they’re going to impact us here in the United States.”
NBC News says that “ letters and personal gifts worth less than $100 will still be duty-free.” However, if someone gets an $800 item from a nation with, say, a 25% tariff attached, they can expect to spend another $200 or more for the items.
Japan has 15% tariffs.
DHL, a major international shipping company, and one well-known for sending Japanese items to America, says starting today it will no longer accept packages heading for America, explaining, “key questions remain unresolved, particularly regarding how and by whom customs duties will be collected in the future, what additional data will be required, and how the data transmission to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will be carried out.”
Source: NBC News
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
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