Belize to Resume US Shipments: Here’s What You Need to Know

Outbound postal shipments from Belize to the United States will resume after a four-month suspension triggered by new US customs rules.

Shipments were halted in August 2025 after President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14324 on July 30th, which removed the long-standing duty-free de minimis threshold. The order ended the US$800 exemption for low-value goods, meaning all packages entering the United States now require customs duties and processing, regardless of value.

Postmaster General Dr Marsha Price of the Belize Postal Service said the rule change forced a major shift in postal operations.

“Usually it is the destination country that collects customs duties. This is something new for postal services,” she said. “We had to wait on the Universal Postal Union to create a solution that could work for post offices worldwide.”

Shipments will resume January 7th using the Universal Postal Union’s Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) system, which allows duties and taxes to be calculated and collected before items leave Belize.

Under the new process, customers should know the following:

• All US-bound packages now require customs duties, regardless of value
• Duties and fees must be paid before items leave Belize
• Shipping costs can be checked online ahead of visiting a post office
• Postal staff can assist customers without internet access 
• A soft launch begins on January 5, with full public rollout on January 7.

“We are here to assist our customers along the whole process,” Dr Price said.