Belize Postal Service Temporarily Suspends Shipments Containing Goods to the European Union

The Belize Postal Service (BPS) announced on June 30th that it has temporarily suspended processing postal shipments containing goods destined for countries in the European Union (EU). The measure follows the introduction of new EU import regulations that significantly change customs procedures for goods entering member states.
According to the BPS, the suspension takes effect immediately and is necessary to allow the postal service to comply with the EU’s updated customs clearance and taxation requirements.
Beginning July 1st, the European Union will abolish its duty-free de minimis threshold for imported goods. Under the new regulations, shipments valued at €150 or less imported from outside the EU will be subject to a €3 customs duty per item, ending the previous exemption for low-value packages.
The implementing rules have already been published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Initially, duties and taxes will be collected by the destination country’s postal service upon delivery to the recipient. Beginning in November 2026, additional changes are expected to require duties and fees to be paid before items are shipped. These measures form part of the EU’s broader customs reform, which is expected to be fully implemented by 2028.
The BPS is advising customers planning to mail merchandise to any EU country to postpone their shipments until further notice. The only exception applies to postal items accepted before June 30th, which will continue to be processed under the existing procedures where applicable.
The postal service said it is working closely with its international postal partners and the Universal Postal Union (UPU) to implement the new requirements and restore normal service as quickly as possible.
In San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, several businesses, including gift shops, said the changes are expected to have a limited impact on their operations, noting that most of their international shipments are destined for the United States. They added that while they occasionally ship products to European countries, such orders are relatively infrequent compared with shipments within North America.
The announcement follows similar changes introduced by the BPS in November 2025 for packages destined for the United States. Those measures require prepayment and advance calculation of customs duties and fees for all shipments to the U.S. through a new Customs Declaration System, introduced to reduce delays and prevent package rejections at U.S. ports of entry.