Correos de Costa Rica announced the temporary suspension of several shipping services to the United States due to new tariff provisions implemented by the Donald Trump administration. The affected services include EMS Inter Paq, Exporta Fácil, Encomienda Internacional, Correo Internacional, and EMS Internacional USA.
“Some services to the United States are temporarily suspended due to tariff provisions and approval processes currently being negotiated with the airline,” said Kenneth Martínez, sales director at Correos de Costa Rica.
The suspension follows the United States’ decision to impose a tariff of at least 15% on packages valued under $800 sent via postal or express delivery services. This change ends a previous exemption that allowed such shipments to enter duty-free.
The policy aims to curb abuse of the exemption for avoiding tariffs or shipping dangerous goods, such as synthetic opioids. The end of the exemption on most small packages took effect Friday and prompted 25 countries to halt outbound postal services to the U.S.
Only gifts or personal shipments valued under $100 are still eligible for exemption. In Costa Rica, small exporters who rely on expedited shipping to access the U.S. market will be most affected. Additionally, international packages transiting through the United States are likely to become more expensive.
The Association of Fast Delivery Companies (AEER) also raised concerns about the potential harm to the small and medium enterprise export sector.
Martínez noted that Correos de Costa Rica still offers one alternative. “The EMS premium shipping service is enabled for shipments to that country. For any additional questions regarding this message, please visit our branches, where our staff will be able to guide you on this particular service,” he said.
Correos de Costa Rica expressed hope for a resolution. “We are always grateful for the trust that Costa Ricans continue to place in Correos de Costa Rica, and we reiterate our commitment to providing secure and reliable solutions throughout the country. We will restore services as soon as possible,” Martínez added.
