Estonia to resume US package deliveries in stages starting Tuesday
Omniva will soon fully resume package deliveries to the United States, starting Tuesday with gifts worth up to $100 and expanding to all packages by early November.
Private customers can begin registering other U.S.-bound packages by October 31, and business customers by November 10, the company said.
"As of today, it's possible to send packages to the U.S. again if the shipment is a gift worth under $100," acting commercial director Sven Kukemelk said, adding that Omniva can once again ensure that such packages will be properly declared and delivered on time.
In August, Omniva and other European carriers temporarily halted U.S. package deliveries after new American customs rules began requiring declaration and payment of duties on all shipments, including low-value ones. Regular mail service continued uninterrupted.
According to the Estonian mail carrier, the customs changes introduced new procedures that initially had no implementing regulations.
Those regulations are now in place, and Estonia is following in the footsteps of other European countries in adopting a virtual automated customs broker that will calculate duties, declare packages and transmit payments directly to U.S. Customs.
Estonia's Omniva will use the same broker as other major European postal carriers, including Postnord, Ukrposhta and the U.K.'s Royal Mail, Kukemelk explained.
For packages subject to customs duty, customers will have to pay both the duty and a service fee at the time of registration. The total depends on the contents of the package — specifically the product it contains, its origin and its value.
Omniva added that registration of U.S.-bound packages at post offices will also resume later this year.
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Editor: Mirjam Mäekivi, Aili Vahtla
