26 Countries, Including Germany, France, Italy, and Russia, Halt Postal Services to the U.S.

GENEVA, May 26 – In an unprecedented move, 26 nations have unilaterally suspended inbound postal services to the United States, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) confirmed today. The decision, which disrupts a key channel of international communication and commerce, is reported to be a direct response to recent and significant policy shifts by the United States within the global postal system.


 

The list of countries includes major European powers like Germany, France, and Italy, as well as other key nations such as the Russian Federation. The UPU, a United Nations agency that coordinates postal policies among its 192 member countries, stated it was notified of the collective action on Sunday.

While an official, coordinated statement from all 26 nations is pending, sources point to a deep-seated dispute concerning terminal dues—the fees that countries pay each other for handling international mail. The core of the conflict is the perception that the current system is unfairly balanced, particularly concerning the cost of processing a rising volume of inbound packages from abroad.


 

The United States has long argued that the existing terminal dues structure, which sets lower rates for developing countries, disadvantages its postal service. The U.S. contends that it costs its postal service, the USPS, far more to deliver inbound international parcels than it receives in compensation from foreign posts, especially for packages originating in China and other major exporting nations. In recent years, the U.S. has taken assertive steps to unilaterally set its own inbound rates, a move that has caused friction with other UPU members.

The coalition of 26 nations appears to view this U.S. action as a breach of international postal agreements. Their retaliatory suspension means that mail and packages originating from these countries will not be dispatched to the United States until further notice. The halt affects all mail classes, including letters, parcels, and express delivery services.

The impact is expected to be immediate and widespread.

• Businesses on both sides of the Atlantic that rely on international shipping for e-commerce, documents, and spare parts face severe disruptions and potential financial losses.

• Individuals waiting for letters, documents, academic materials, or personal gifts from the affected countries will experience significant delays, if not a complete stoppage.

• Diplomatic and consular services may also be impacted, as official correspondence often relies on diplomatic postal channels.

A spokesperson for the UPU expressed "deep concern" over the development, emphasizing that the union's role is to ensure "a single, universally connected postal territory." The UPU is urging all parties to return to negotiations to find a swift and amicable resolution. "This suspension is contrary to the spirit of cooperation that has defined the global postal network for over a century," the spokesperson added.

There has been no immediate official response from the White House or the U.S. Postal Service. The international community is watching closely to see how the U.S. will react to this dramatic escalation in the long-running dispute over the economics of cross-border mail.