88 countries suspend postal services to US over tariffs

Postal traffic to the United States plunged more than 80 percent following Washington's imposition of new tariffs, with 88 operators worldwide fully or partially suspending services, the Universal Postal Union said Saturday.

1news.media informs, citing France 24, the UPU, the United Nations' postal cooperation agency, is working on "the rapid development of a new technical solution that will help get mail moving to the United States again", its director general Masahiko Metoki said in a statement.

US President Donald Trump's administration announced in late July that it was abolishing a tax exemption on small packages entering the United States from August 29.

The UPU said data exchanged between postal operators via its electronic network showed that traffic to the United States was down 81 percent on August 29, compared to a week earlier.

"Furthermore, 88 postal operators informed the UPU they have suspended some or all postal services to the US until a solution is implemented," it said.