US Shipping Chaos: Personal Treasures at Risk Amid New Customs Regulations

Graduate student Nicole Lobo moved back to the US in late August after a year in the UK, shipping 10 boxes of possessions back home to Philadelphia that she expected to arrive within a few days. Six weeks later, she is still waiting for the shipment - and fears it is lost, destroyed by UPS as the company struggles to handle a flood of packages facing new customs and tariff rules.

It's been horrific, says the 28-year-old, who was notified last month that her boxes would be disposed of, leaving her to make frantic phone calls and send emails to try to head off the outcome. It's an ordeal facing many UPS customers since the Trump administration in late August stopped allowing parcels worth less than $800 to enter the US without inspection, taxes or tariffs.

The decision abruptly made an estimated 4 million packages each day subject to new, more onerous processing and documentation rules. As the influx leads to longer processing times and higher, sometimes unexpected, costs across the industry, some customers of UPS like Nicole, say they fear their packages have been lost in the backlog.

It's beyond comprehension to me, says Janani Mohan, a 29-year-old engineer living in Michigan, who has also spent hours on hold and sent repeated emails since a tracking alert listed a box sent by her parents in India as set for disposal. The parcel held her wedding dress, an heirloom sari, and wedding photos, among other valuable items. I literally cried to them on the phone, she laments.

The situation is mirrored by businesses, including Oregon-based Mizuba Tea Co, which has used UPS for over a decade to import matcha from Japan, currently has five shipments totaling more than $100,000 delayed. Their team is now struggling against the chaos of uncertain package statuses and potential losses.

While importers typically have 10 days to submit documentation and make necessary payments upon goods entering the US, the rapid changes in tariff rules have complicated compliance, especially for smaller firms who faced unexpected hurdles. Shipping companies like FedEx and UPS are reporting significant strain on their operations due to these new regulations.

UPS acknowledged that they are successfully clearing over 90% of international packages; however, customers like Nicole and Janani report receiving no communication before alerts indicated their packages would be destroyed.

The ripple effect of these delays is extensive, impacting small businesses and individual customers alike, leading to significant financial losses and emotional stress as treasured items remain in limbo.