Africa’s two largest economies are feeling the strain of Washington’s tariff crackdown, as Nigeria and South Africa adjust their postal services to comply with sweeping new rules imposed by the United States.
- The United States’ new tariff regulation affects international postal shipments, particularly from Nigeria and South Africa.
- The South African Post Office (SAPO) has suspended parcel deliveries to the United States due to compliance challenges.
- Nigeria’s Postal Service (NIPOST) now imposes an $80 customs duty on shipments to the United States.
- This U.S. policy is justified as a measure to prevent tariff evasion and illegal activities, impacting global postal systems.
The South African Post Office (SAPO) announced on Friday that it had indefinitely suspended all parcel deliveries to the United States, citing the heavy compliance burden triggered by Washington’s move.
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Letters, documents, and exempted mail, such as military correspondence, will still be delivered, but all other goods are on hold.
“Given the complex processes required to comply with the new regulation, we have no choice but to temporarily suspend these shipments,” SAPO said in a statement.
“We regret any inconvenience this may cause to our customers.” It added.
The decision comes after President Donald Trump revoked duty-free access for international parcels, scrapping the de minimis exemption that had allowed small packages valued at $800 or less to enter the US without duty.
The exemption was first lifted for China in May before being extended to the rest of the world through an executive order last month.
Washington justified the clampdown under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, arguing that the loophole was being exploited for tariff evasion and the smuggling of illegal drugs such as fentanyl.
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The ripple effect is reverberating through global postal networks. National postal services in Japan, Britain, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, and India have all announced similar suspensions or restrictions.
More particularly, Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has also moved to comply.
The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) said that effective August 29, all shipments from Nigeria to the US, except letters and documents, will attract a mandatory prepaid customs duty of $80 or its naira equivalent.
In a public notice, NIPOST stated, “The Nigerian Postal Service wishes to inform our esteemed customers of a recent policy change by the Government of the United States of America, enacted through the Executive Order on ‘Suspending Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Countries’ under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.”
The agency stressed that the directive applies to all designated postal operators worldwide.
“This Executive Order applies to all postal operators and designated postal administrations worldwide, and the payment of the additional duty affects all global postal inflows into the United States, not just those from Nigeria,” it added.
In its defense, Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro told reporters that the measure helps restrict the flow of “narcotics and other dangerous and prohibited items” while raising new tariff revenues.
Packages will now be subject either to country-specific tariff levels or a fixed duty ranging from $80 to $200 per item. Exemptions, however, remain for some personal items and gifts.
In South Africa, the burden is compounded by SAPO’s financial troubles.
The state-owned entity has been under business rescue since 2023 after years of declining mail volumes, mounting debt, and operational setbacks.
For Nigerian exporters, the implications are significant. Analysts warn that the new $80 duty will “significantly raise costs for Nigerian SMEs, e-commerce vendors, and individuals who send small parcels to the United States.
For many low-value goods, this charge may exceed the shipment’s actual worth, making small exports uneconomical.”
With both Nigeria and South Africa now caught in the storm, Africa’s two largest economies face new hurdles in their already fragile trade landscapes.
For e-commerce vendors, artisans, and SMEs that depend on affordable cross-border logistics, the US policy is more than a customs change; it is a direct threat to survival in an increasingly protectionist global economy.
