The United States Postal Service (USPS) has plunged international mail into chaos after instructing global carriers to immediately suspend all package deliveries destined for American addresses. This unprecedented move, affecting senders from the UK to China, represents the most severe escalation yet in a long-running dispute over international postal rates.
The directive, issued quietly to foreign postal operators, effectively creates a mail blockade against countless businesses and individuals relying on international shipping. Carriers worldwide have been told to halt all inbound items until further notice, leaving packages in limbo and supply chains severed.
The Trump Ultimatum: 'Postal Armageddon'
This dramatic action stems directly from former President Donald Trump's threat to unilaterally withdraw the United States from the Universal Postal Union (UPU), the United Nations agency that governs international mail exchanges. Trump's administration demanded radical reforms to the system, claiming it unfairly subsidised Chinese manufacturers and disadvantaged American companies.
"What we're witnessing is nothing short of a postal armageddon," revealed a senior source within the international mailing industry. "The US has effectively declared a trade war on global mail, and ordinary consumers and businesses are caught in the crossfire."
Universal Postal Union: The Heart of the Crisis
At the centre of the storm is the UPU, which establishes the fees postal services pay each other for delivering international mail. The current system sets lower rates for developing countries, a structure the Trump administration argued primarily benefited China despite its economic growth.
While a compromise was reached in 2019 allowing countries to set their own rates, the threat of complete withdrawal and potential tariffs of up to 70-80% on postal imports has now been activated, creating unbearable uncertainty for the USPS.
Global Impact and Industry Reaction
The suspension affects all international carriers, including Britain's Royal Mail, which has been forced to comply with the American directive. The move threatens to:
- Paralyse small businesses reliant on international e-commerce
- Disrupt supply chains for critical goods
- Increase costs for consumers through potential tariffs
- Create massive backlogs in sorting facilities worldwide
Industry experts warn that this could represent a permanent reshaping of global postal delivery, potentially fragmenting the international system that has operated smoothly for decades. The situation remains fluid, with diplomatic efforts likely underway to prevent a complete collapse of cross-border mail services.
