UPS is cautioning customers that a growing number of international packages destined for the United States are becoming ensnared in a complex web of customs delays and regulatory hurdles, with some shipments ultimately being marked for destruction under the country’s evolving import laws. The company’s recent warning comes amid a period of profound transformation in the global logistics landscape, where seemingly minor policy adjustments can produce dramatic disruptions throughout international commerce.
According to UPS, many customers are discovering that their packages, particularly those sent from abroad into the U.S., are lingering for extended periods inside the carrier’s distribution hubs—facilities that have effectively become holding zones reminiscent of a logistical purgatory. Tracking updates reveal that some of these delayed parcels have been stalled for weeks, while others are suddenly subject to unexpectedly high tariffs and customs brokerage fees before any delivery progress can continue. Multiple customers who spoke to reporters have even received system notifications suggesting that their shipments might never reach their intended recipients, with status messages indicating that the items are “undeliverable” and currently undergoing disposal procedures in accordance with regional or national customs guidelines.
For many UPS clients, these complications represent their first real exposure to the intricate regulations and heightened trade barriers introduced in the wake of President Donald Trump’s revision of U.S. tariff policies earlier this year. The policy changes, which eliminated the so-called “de minimis exemption” that had long allowed small imported goods—valued under $800—to enter the country free of tariffs, have dramatically increased the number of shipments requiring formal customs review. While limited allowances remain for personal gifts valued below $100, the removal of this threshold has had sweeping consequences: some international carriers, caught off guard by the added complexity, have temporarily halted higher-value shipments to the United States altogether.
A UPS spokesperson acknowledged that the carrier has seen a significant surge in packages requiring detailed customs documentation and official clearance procedures. This shift has introduced an added administrative burden for both the company and its customers. In certain instances, incomplete shipping information or missing tariff classifications can trigger costly delays, additional fees, or even the return or disposal of goods. One example comes from Canadian entrepreneur Kunal Sharma, who owns an automotive parts business and routinely ships car components to U.S. clients. After sending four boxed wheels to a customer in Texas, Sharma realized he had neglected to include the proper tariff codes for the items. As a result, UPS returned three of the boxes to him, while the fourth disappeared into the system for weeks—its tracking data alternating between locations in Ontario, Michigan, and Tennessee, at one point noting that the package was being prepared for disposal. Only after directly contacting UPS’s chief executive did Sharma see movement on the matter, eventually learning that the fourth wheel was once again en route to its buyer. Frustrated by the ordeal, he has since opted to use FedEx for all U.S.-bound orders, citing greater reliability under the new import regime.
A UPS representative explained that these issues arise primarily when customs information is missing or incomplete and the sender cannot be reached promptly to resolve the matter. In such cases, U.S. customs law dictates that the carrier must either return the parcel to its origin—at the shipper’s expense—or dispose of it consistent with federal import regulations. Despite customer concerns, UPS has emphasized that more than 90% of imported parcels entering its network still clear customs within a single day, suggesting that while problems are widespread enough to attract attention, they remain a small fraction of total international volume.
Other customers describe similar experiences of confusion and unexpected costs. David Ordal, a resident of California’s Bay Area, reported that his annual order of French sunscreen has been stranded for an entire month in Louisville, Kentucky, with no signs of release. He likened the experience to being stuck in a state of shipping limbo. Likewise, Katie Golden, a U.K.-based vintage clothing reseller, said she was shocked to receive notice from UPS that she owed $769 in import-related charges on an order worth just $179. This extraordinary discrepancy—four times the purchase price—consisted of tariff obligations and a brokerage fee, both of which she is now disputing, fearing that her parcel might otherwise be discarded.
Beyond tariff enforcement, new import screening protocols by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration appear to be compounding the problem for certain product categories, especially consumables and cosmetics. A Los Angeles consultant attempting to launch a coffee business shared that out of twelve shipments from Taiwan, only two boxes were approved for entry. The remaining ten were slated to be declared abandoned. A UPS customer service agent told her that both the FDA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection had begun authorizing only partial shipments, citing stricter inspection standards. The customer further noted that she was one of several affected importers whom the agent had recently spoken with, suggesting broader systemic challenges.
Other customers have echoed these frustrations. Heather Elliott of Virginia recounted paying two separate customs-related bills for a single shipment of French beauty products—initially $165, followed by an additional $289 after new assessments were applied. While UPS later refunded the first payment, she has since moved all of her international purchases to FedEx, whose fees have thus far proven more transparent and consistent. Her account underscores a broader migration among small businesses and individual consumers who are actively seeking carriers with more predictable international processing systems.
Alex Castellani, cofounder of Toronto’s specialty coffee roaster Subtext, represents another example of this trend. He told reporters that numerous U.S.-bound deliveries have languished for weeks in UPS facilities located in Buffalo and Detroit. The combination of higher tariffs, brokerage surcharges, and shipping delays ultimately pushed his company to transition to DHL, which he says has managed to maintain steadier operations under the same customs environment. According to Castellani, several of his American customers are now paying more in tariffs and fees than the total value of the goods being shipped.
In response to such fallout, UPS has engaged in significant internal restructuring. Earlier in the year, the company announced plans to eliminate 20,000 positions and to close or consolidate numerous facilities. Chief Executive Carol Tomé attributed these decisions to the “changing trade environment” created by recent policy developments. Within that same context, UPS also suspended its long-standing service guarantee—previously a policy allowing customers to request refunds for late deliveries—on many domestic and international routes. The suspension reflects the company’s recognition that unpredictable customs conditions have rendered timely guarantees nearly impossible to uphold.
The stakes in these situations can go far beyond temporary inconvenience. Some individuals stand to lose irreplaceable possessions. Nicole Lobo, a graduate student returning to Philadelphia after a year in the United Kingdom, shared that ten boxes containing her personal belongings, including her late grandfather’s clothing and a specialized library of rare art history texts, have been caught up in the same procedural snare. Having shipped the boxes in August, she still had not received them by late autumn. The potential loss, she explained, would be devastating—not just financially but emotionally and academically, since her collection represents decades of carefully curated scholarship.
At the same time, entrepreneurs like the Los Angeles coffee importer express growing doubt about whether their businesses can survive within this evolving regulatory climate. If other carriers begin to experience the same clearance problems as UPS, she said, her options could narrow dramatically, forcing her to reconsider the future of her venture altogether.
Through all of this, UPS maintains that it is making every effort to comply with updated U.S. customs enforcement standards while assisting customers in navigating the increasingly intricate web of international trade requirements. Nevertheless, these stories collectively illustrate how rapidly shifting governmental regulations can ripple across global supply chains, translating abstract policy into concrete disruption for individuals and small companies alike. In today’s world of interdependent commerce, the fate of a package—and by extension, the livelihoods tied to it—can change drastically as global trade rules evolve.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/ups-customers-told-their-us-bound-packages-are-marked-for-destruction-2025-10
