As a result of Donald Trump's new rules, from Saturday, August 23 onward it will no longer be possible to send packages worth less than 8,000 NOK to the USA.
In July, the Trump administration removed tariff exemptions for packages worth less than 800 USD. This will have consequences for Norwegians.
—"The coming Friday [i.e. today] is the last opportunity," according to {Posten Bring's|Norwegian Postal Service's} press officer Kenneth Pettersen.
130,000 packages in this category crossed the Atlantic last year. Pettersen says that smaller online stores will be most strongly impacted.
The postal service is also ending deliveries to Puerto Rico, since it is an American territory.
Cooperating with several countries
Posten Bring sees an end of deliveries as its only option: the new American rules have created uncertainty around transportation, the process of returning packages, and responsibilities. And although the changes in the rules were first decided in July, it is August 29 that they go into effect.
Pettersen believes that the US Customs Service has the key to solving the problem.
—"It's a very unfortunate situation. We're in the same boat as other postal services in other countries, and right now we're putting a lot of effort into cooperating to get some clarity around the process and our options," he says.
Posten Bring is cooperating with Sweden and Finland among others to find a solution; these countries have also ended deliveries worth less than 8,000 NOK.
NHO: Dramatic for small businesses
Ole Andreas Hagen is the director of industrial policy for the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO) Logistics and Transport.
—"This impacts smaller online stores; it's dramatic for them. We've seen the same situation in other countries, like the Nordics and China," he says.
—"These are not many businesses, but they are small and vulnerable to big changes."
He says there is uncertainty around if and when the new rules will go into effect.
—"But it's the US Customs Service who we have to turn to to find a solution," Hagen says.
Deliveries worth more than 800 USD are to be declared and sent as usual. There is also an exception for gifts worth less than 100 USD between private individuals. These can be sent as usual, likewise for simple mail and documents.
