Postal traffic to US drops over 80% after tariffs: 88 operators suspend services; says UN body

Postal deliveries to the United States have fallen sharply after Washington’s decision to impose new tariffs, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) said on Saturday, as reported by news agency AFP.

According to the UN’s postal cooperation agency, traffic from other countries to the US plunged by more than 80 percent, with 88 postal operators worldwide fully or partially suspending services.

UPU director general Masahiko Metoki said in a statement that the organisation is working on “the rapid development of a new technical solution that will help get mail moving to the United States again.”

The US tariffs, part of Washington’s broader trade measures, have complicated the handling of international mail and increased costs for foreign postal operators. Several countries have flagged operational and financial difficulties in continuing shipments under the new regime.

The UPU, which coordinates global postal services among its 192 member countries, has been holding consultations to find an interim fix while longer-term adjustments are considered.

The sharp disruption in postal traffic comes amid wider trade tensions between the US and its partners, with tariff hikes on a range of goods already drawing criticism from businesses and governments.