Sudden U.S. Tariffs Force Portugal’s Post to Halt Most Packages

Ever tried to drop a care-package at your neighbourhood loja CTT this week only to be sent home with the box still under your arm? You are not alone. A lightning-fast change in U.S. customs policy has pushed Portugal’s national post into a temporary freeze on almost all parcels crossing the Atlantic, leaving expats, online shopkeepers and grandparents alike scrambling for alternatives.

A Washington curveball no one saw coming

Three days ago the White House tore up the long-standing de minimis rule that let goods worth up to $800 slip into America duty-free. From 29 August, every trinket, T-shirt or tin of sardines is liable for a flat charge of $80–$200 per item, part of President Donald Trump’s pledge to “close a catastrophic loophole” blamed for tax dodging and opioid trafficking. Because the duties must be prepaid before cargo departs foreign soil, postal operators worldwide had mere hours to rewire their IT and billing systems. CTT’s leadership—under CEO João Bento—decided that a brief shutdown was safer than dispatching parcels that might be impounded on arrival.

What foreigners in Portugal will notice at the counter

Walk into any CTT branch today and the clerk will still accept your letters and document-only envelopes, but the moment there is a physical good inside, the system refuses the barcode. The suspension covers mainland Portugal, the islands, and even the lojas tucked into shopping centres. Staff have been instructed to advise customers that items presented in breach of the halt will either bounce back or rack up hefty clearing fees once they reach U.S. Customs.

A narrow tunnel that remains open

Not everything is blocked. Business clients with a CTT Expresso contract may continue to ship under the Internacional Premium service, which takes parcels up to 30 kg. The catch: recipients in the States must settle the new duty on delivery, and CTT quietly warns that last-mile delays are likely until the electronic data feeds stabilise. Meanwhile, DHL, FedEx and UPS continue to accept private shipments, though their small-print now mentions higher fuel surcharges and mandatory advance customs forms. A 10 kg box to New Jersey that cost €85 in July can easily hit €200 plus duty this week, according to quotes gathered Wednesday morning.

Ripple effects on digital micro-businesses

The U.S. soaks up about 8 % of Portuguese exports, a share even higher for artisan ceramics, cork fashion and boutique olive oils sold on Etsy or Shopify. Those firms built pricing models around the duty-free window; removing it overnight can slice profit margins in half. Early surveys among Algarve-based entrepreneurs show some are pausing online ads targeting U.S. shoppers till costs stabilise, while Madeira wineries that relied on small mixed-case orders fear losing Christmas sales entirely.

Workarounds while the engineers code

Veteran sellers are already testing fixes. One is bulk-shipping inventory by freight to a U.S. fulfilment warehouse and mailing to domestic customers from there. Another exploits the fact that “gifts” under $100 still clear under relaxed rules—handy if you are sending a birthday scarf to Seattle, less so if you run a cork-wallet empire. A few brave souls drive parcels across the Guadiana to post them via Correos in Spain, yet Madrid introduced almost identical limits on Tuesday evening, shutting that door as quickly as it opened.

How long will the blackout last?

CTT says the stoppage will continue only “for the time strictly necessary” to plug its software into U.S. Customs’ new databases. Insiders hint at several weeks rather than days, pointing to unanswered technical questions from Washington. Lisbon’s Ministry of Infrastructure is lobbying Brussels for a coordinated EU response, arguing the surcharge amounts to a non-tariff barrier. Until the engineers finish and diplomats haggle, foreigners living in Portugal should assume that every non-document parcel faces extra paperwork, higher costs and possible refusal if posted the old way. For now, your safest bet is an express courier—budget permitting—and a large dose of patience.