<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
</head>
<body>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Dear Doug,</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">you are surely right there might be room for interpretation, but some foreign national postal carriers simply stop all parcel shipments outbound to the US from 26 Aug at the moment. The problem might be that Universal Postal Union
procedures need to be adjusted to be adopted, which may take some time. The outage surely is temporarily and will be removed again.</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">The other issue is that in the understanding of customs regs, everything that is not a git is deemed to be a commodity, which may be traded, or not.</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">For postal parcels, the disclaimer probably is less of a help, because the service is paused.</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">For express shipments, we ought to clearly state and highlight the "non commercial" nature of our preserved museum objects anyway, so there is not change.</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">A value also can and should never be zero, because at least the packaging is not free of 'cost'. It is advisable that the declared value is 1 USD or EUR, also to avoid that potentially value added taxes could be charged for onto
the shipping costs (if the value is above 1 whatsoever).</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Hope this clarifies further and answers your questions</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Dirk </div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Am 22.08.2025 um 17:46 schrieb Douglas Yanega:</div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite="mid:0859611e-9e69-4f75-b5f2-2c2f46d4bcef@gmail.com">
<div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 8/22/25 6:02 AM, Dirk Neumann wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite="mid:f1d97c0c-560e-417a-812d-a5dc84ccdfaa@leibniz-lib.de">
<p>Dear colleagues, </p>
<p>the Executive order suspending the De Minimis Treatment For All Countries" gets effective on 29 August, 00:01 Eastern Daylight Time.</p>
<p><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/07/suspending-duty-free-de-minimis-treatment-for-all-countries/" moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/07/suspending-duty-free-de-minimis-treatment-for-all-countries/</a></p>
<p>This removed the low-value exemption for all shipments into the US and introduces measures to increase screening for illegal substances or drugs. </p>
<p>This may affect postal shipments handled/forwarded within national postal systems for import to the US / into USPS systems. DHL parcel, i.e. national German parcel service, (which is not the same as DHL Express), declared to suspend all services to the US
from 26 August.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>As I read this, it seems slightly contradictory, so it would be good to hear from someone who can penetrate the legal jargon.</p>
<p>That is, the EO states:</p>
<p>"Sec. 2. Suspension of Duty-Free de minimis Treatment. (a) The duty-free de minimis exemption provided under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) shall no longer apply to any shipment of articles not covered by 50 U.S.C. 1702(b), regardless of value, country of origin,
mode of transportation, or method of entry. "</p>
<p>But the parameters of 50 U.S.C. 1702(b) include, among them, the following:</p>
<p>"(1) any postal, telegraphic, telephonic, or other personal communication, which does not involve a transfer of anything of value;"</p>
<p>To my reading, a package that is marked as "no commercial value" (as museum specimens typically ARE labeled)
<b>would</b> be covered by 50 U.S.C. 1702(b) - if the commercial value is zero, then
<b>by definition</b> it "does not involve a transfer of anything of value", and then the EO
<b>does not apply</b>.</p>
<p>However, the EO states "regardless of value". Does that imply that it applies even if the value is zero? That would be contradictory, as it would mean that the EO is applying to something covered by 50 U.S.C. 1702(b), despite explicitly stating that it only
applies to things <b>not</b> covered.</p>
<p>Myself, I would think that shipments marked as having no commercial value are NOT subject to this EO, as they are covered by 50 U.S.C. 1702(b). Maybe very explicit labeling of the package to
<b>state</b> that (e.g., "This package conforms to 50 U.S.C. 1702(b)"), plus reference to this new EO (which should have a number, but I don't see one indicated in the Order itself).</p>
<p>Would anyone else have a clearer opinion on whether the "no commercial value" disclaimer would get around this?</p>
<p>Peace,</p>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Doug Yanega Dept. of Entomology Entomology Research Museum
Univ. of California, Riverside, CA 92521-0314 voicemail:951-827-8704
FaceBook: Doug Yanega (disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://faculty.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html" moz-do-not-send="true">https://faculty.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html</a>
"There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82</pre>
</div>
<br>
<fieldset class="moz-mime-attachment-header"></fieldset>
<pre wrap="" class="moz-quote-pre">_______________________________________________
Nhcoll-l mailing list
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu">Nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l">https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l</a>
_______________________________________________
NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of
Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose
mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of
natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to
society. See <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.spnhc.org">http://www.spnhc.org</a> for membership information.
Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<p><br>
</p>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered)">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Source Sans Pro";
panose-1:2 11 5 3 3 4 3 2 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin-top:0cm;
margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:8.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;
line-height:107%;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
.MsoChpDefault
{font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
.MsoPapDefault
{margin-bottom:8.0pt;
line-height:107%;}
@page WordSection1
{size:595.3pt 841.9pt;
margin:70.85pt 70.85pt 2.0cm 70.85pt;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif">****</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif">Dirk Neumann</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif">Collection Manager, Hamburg</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif">Postal address:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif">Museum of Nature Hamburg</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif"><br>
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif;
color:#008669">Leibniz Institute for the Analysis</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal">
<span style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif;color:#008669">of Biodiversity Change</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal">
<span style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif">Dirk Neumann</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal">
<span style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif">Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal">
<span style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif">20146</span><span style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif">
</span><span style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif">Hamburg</span><span style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif"><br>
+49 </span><span style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif">40</span><span style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif">
</span><span style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif">238 3</span><span style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif">17 –
</span><span style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif">628</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal">
<u><span style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif;color:blue"><a href="mailto:d.neumann@leibniz-lib.de" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">d.neumann@leibniz-lib.de</a></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal">
<a href="imap://dneumann@webmail.leibniz-lib.de:993/fetch%3EUID%3E/INBOX/Privat/www.leibniz-lib.de"><span style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif">www.leibniz-lib.de</span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif">-- <br>
Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels<br>
Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany<br>
<br>
Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;<br>
Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Grüter (Kaufm. Geschäftsführer)<br>
Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn<br>
Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:
"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif"> </span></p>
</div>
</div>
-- <br>
Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels<br>
Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany<br>
<br>
Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;<br>
Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Grüter (Kaufm. Geschäftsführer)<br>
Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn<br>
Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst<br>
</body>
</html>