Sending to the US? PHLPost restores nationwide mail, parcel services

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The state post office resumed accepting all letters, mail, and parcels bound for the United States effective immediately, ending nearly a year of disruptions triggered by sweeping U.S. customs reforms that forced postal operators worldwide to overhaul international shipping procedures.

In an advisory on July 29, the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) announced that all post offices have resumed accepting mail and parcels bound for the U.S.

“Tinatanggap nang muli sa lahat ng post office nationwide ang mga mail and parcels na ipadadala papuntang U.S.,” it said. (All post offices nationwide have resumed accepting mail and parcels bound for the United States.)

This is the full restoration of one of PHLPost’s busiest international mailing routes. Operational and regulatory changes in the United States disrupted outbound postal services for several months.

PHLPost restores US mail services

PHLPost first suspended all outbound mail and parcel services to the U.S. on Aug. 28, 2025.

The U.S. Government introduced sweeping customs reforms that abolished the long-standing de minimis exemption, which had allowed shipments valued at $800 or less to enter the country without duties.

Under the new rules, low-value shipments became subject to customs duties. Postal operators also had to comply with stricter electronic customs declaration requirements and collect applicable taxes before shipments reached U.S. ports of entry.

Those changes required postal administrations, including PHLPost, to upgrade their systems to calculate, collect, and remit customs duties while transmitting more detailed electronic shipment data to U.S. authorities.

Sending to the US now doable again

PHLPost had earlier restored letter mail and document services in late September 2025.

Full parcel services remained limited while the postal agency completed technical upgrades needed to comply with the new U.S. regulations.

The postal corporation said it has rolled out a new Customs Declaration System that supports electronic customs declarations. It also allows customers to settle applicable U.S. duties and taxes at the time of mailing.

The upgraded system aims to prevent shipments from getting delayed, returned, or held by U.S. Customs and Border Protection because of incomplete customs information or unpaid duties.

Disrupted by Middle East conflict

Earlier this year, PHLPost also faced disruptions in international mail operations. A global airspace shutdown linked to military conflict in the Middle East forced the suspension of mail services to dozens of countries.

The restoration of U.S.-bound mail indicates that international transit routes supporting American-bound shipments have stabilized, alongside the postal agency’s upgraded processing system.

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