Czech Post abruptly stops sending most US-bound parcels from today

Starting today, state service Czech Post will stop accepting parcels containing goods for delivery to the U.S., citing new American trade rules that take effect later this month. Scroll to the end of this article for other ways you can send goods to the U.S.

The change follows an executive order from President Donald Trump that abolishes the duty-free rule for shipments valued up to USD 800 (about CZK 16,975).

Under this rule, small parcels under that amount could enter the U.S. without paying customs duties or taxes. Its removal means that all shipments with goods will now need customs clearance and payment before delivery.

“From Aug. 22, 2025, until further notice, the reception of shipments to the U.S. containing goods, regardless of their value, will be suspended,” the company stated in a press release.

According to spokesperson Kateřina Cafourková, “It will still be possible to send parcels to the U.S. containing only written messages or documents, and between individuals, parcels containing gifts up to a maximum value of USD 100 [about CZK 2,120].” 

She added: “However, these shipments will also require proper completion of the postal customs declaration, with an emphasis on a correct and complete description of the contents and the actual value, in the currency of the destination country.”

And there’s more bad news: “Even if the customs declaration is correctly and completely completed, customs procedures at entry into the U.S. may be extended, which means longer delivery times,” Cafourková wrote.

Czech Post says the U.S. side has not yet defined “fundamental issues and procedures, especially in the area of customs duty collections” when it comes to receiving packages from abroad. The company also cited a lack of cooperation with American customs authorities.

The U.S. released only partial technical details about the customs changes on Aug. 15, “leaving an extremely limited amount of time for both the preparation transferring data to the American side and for setting up the collection of customs duties, which must now be paid before the shipment enters the US.”

Cafourková explained that the restrictions take effect a week early because goods must be cleared through U.S. customs and any duties paid at the time they enter the country.

According to Czech Post, senders in the Czech Republic dispatch about 20,000 registered parcels and 5,000 kilograms of non-registered shipments to the U.S. each month.

Czech Post said it will inform customers of further developments once U.S. Customs and Border Protection provides clarification.