Why We Cannot Ship to the United States for Now

Esthetic Ants
Aug 24
2 min read

Dear antkeepers,

We would like to inform you about an important change that affects all shipments from Europe to the United States.

On July 30, 2025, U.S. President Trump signed Executive Order 14324 – Suspending Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Countries. This order removes the long-standing “de-minimis” exemption that allowed goods valued under $800 USD to be imported into the U.S. without customs duties and with minimal paperwork.

As of August 29, 2025, all goods entering the U.S., regardless of their value, must now go through full customs clearance and be subject to import duties. Only small personal gifts under $100 USD and documents are still allowed through regular postal channels without duties.

What this means in practice

Postal shipments to the U.S. have been suspended. European postal companies, including Deutsche Post/DHL, have announced a temporary stop on sending goods to the U.S. because U.S. Customs has not yet clarified how the new rules will be applied or how duties should be collected.
Express couriers (DHL Express, UPS, FedEx, etc.) are still shipping. However, they now require full customs declarations and apply import duties (around 15% on average for EU goods, sometimes higher depending on the product category).
Longer delays and higher costs are expected for all shipments, since every package must now be treated like a regular commercial import.

Why did the U.S. introduce this measure?

The U.S. government cited two main reasons:

Combatting illegal drugs. According to the White House, low-value parcels were being used to smuggle fentanyl and other synthetic opioids because they bypassed detailed customs checks.
Regulating e-commerce imports. In 2024, more than 1.3 billion low-value parcels entered the U.S., with around 60% coming from China. Many of these avoided tariffs, creating what the U.S. calls “unfair competition” with domestic businesses.

By ending the de-minimis exemption, the U.S. aims to increase control over imports and ensure duties are collected on all goods.

What does this mean for Esthetic Ants customers in the U.S.?

For the time being, we are unable to ship ants, nests, or supplies to the United States via postal services. Until the customs process is clear and reliable again, we cannot guarantee safe and timely delivery.

We are actively monitoring the situation and will update our U.S. customers as soon as there is a stable solution. Shipping with commercial couriers may become possible, but it will likely involve higher costs and additional import duties.

In summary

Postal shipments of goods to the U.S. are currently suspended.
Only gifts under $100 USD and documents can still be sent by post.
Express couriers remain possible, but with duties and extra paperwork.
We will keep you updated as soon as shipping to the U.S. becomes feasible again.

We understand this is disappointing news for our U.S. customers, and we truly appreciate your patience and support while we navigate these changes.

Thank you for understanding, The Esthetic Ants Team