Yes, UPS confirmed that it disposed of some U.S.-bound packages that could not clear customs. But the evidence does not establish that UPS destroyed “thousands of packages per day.” That figure appears to conflate thousands of delayed or stuck parcels with the smaller, unquantified number UPS said it disposed of.
The disruption followed the U.S. suspension of duty-free de minimis treatment for qualifying low-value imports on August 29, 2025. In October, UPS told NBC News that shipments missing required information could be returned at the shipper’s expense or disposed of in accordance with customs requirements after UPS attempted to contact the shipper three times.
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What happened to the packages?
After the U.S. changed its low-value import rules, international shipments accumulated at UPS facilities while customs-clearance problems were resolved. UPS attributed some failures to missing or incomplete shipment information.
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Those contradictory updates do not prove that every package marked for disposal was physically destroyed. A shipment may have been released after documents were supplied, placed on a return track, affected by stale tracking data, or still awaiting a final operational decision. The physical status of an individual parcel must be confirmed with UPS or the seller.
Why August 29, 2025 mattered
Before the reported disruption, qualifying commercial imports valued at $800 or less could generally enter the United States through the de minimis process without ordinary duties. The $800 threshold was not a guarantee that every package qualified, but it allowed many low-value shipments to move with relatively limited customs friction.
On August 29, 2025, the United States suspended duty-free de minimis treatment for applicable goods from all countries. Low-value imports consequently became subject to applicable duties, taxes, fees, and an appropriate entry process. The policy change affected carriers, customs brokers, postal operators, merchants, and recipients.
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The scale was substantial: U.S. Customs and Border Protection said de minimis shipments increased from 134 million in 2015 to 1.36 billion in 2024—more than 4 million shipments per day. That is the total volume of de minimis traffic, not the number of UPS parcels delayed or discarded. See CBP’s explanation of the change and its scale and the government’s implementation guidance.
What customs information was missing?
The precise problem varies by shipment, but common clearance failures involve:
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- A complete and accurate commercial invoice.
- A plain-language description of each product.
- Quantity, declared value, and currency.
- Country of origin—not merely the country from which the parcel was shipped.
- The correct Harmonized System or tariff classification.
- Importer-of-record information.
- Correct recipient contact details.
- Permits, certificates, or agency information for regulated goods.
- A clear arrangement for payment of duties, taxes, and brokerage charges.
- Country-specific declarations, including special treatment for gifts, samples, returns, repairs, or temporary imports.
Generic descriptions such as “parts,” “sample,” or “gift” can be inadequate. Multi-item parcels may also require separate tariff lines and more detailed product information.
UPS’s U.S. terms place responsibility on the shipper to provide complete, true, and correct documentation. They also allow certain government penalties and related costs arising from incomplete information to be charged to the shipper or consignee, subject to the applicable service terms and jurisdiction.
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Who is responsible?
There is no universal answer. Responsibility depends on the sales contract, shipping terms, importer-of-record designation, service used, and reason for the hold.
The shipper
The merchant or sender is usually responsible for preparing accurate export and customs information, including the product description, value, classification, origin, and any required authorization or permit. The shipper also needs to respond when UPS or its broker requests clarification.
The recipient or importer
The recipient may need to provide importer-of-record details, pay duties and taxes, identify the shipment as a return or personal import, or provide information about the goods. A seller promising “duties paid” does not necessarily mean the recipient has no role in customs clearance; the specific shipping arrangement controls.
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UPS
UPS may act as carrier and, where authorized, customs broker. It can request missing information, provide shipment and brokerage updates, and handle a parcel under its service terms and applicable customs procedures. UPS told NBC News that it attempts to contact the shipper three times when required information is unavailable.
CBP and other government agencies
CBP can require documentation, inspect or hold a shipment, reject inadmissible goods, and seize goods in appropriate circumstances. CBP says packages missing documentation or requiring inspection may be held for up to 45 business days and that inadmissible shipments may be seized. That is distinct from UPS’s commercial process for returning or disposing of a package that cannot be cleared. CBP guidance is available through its hold and seizure information.
The available reporting does not show that CBP personally destroyed every package described in the October reports, nor that CBP ordered UPS to destroy all delayed parcels.
What does “disposed of” mean?
“Disposed of” is broader and more cautious than “destroyed.” Depending on the shipment, the outcome could involve:
- Release after missing information is supplied.
- Payment of duties, taxes, or fees followed by delivery.
- Return to the sender.
- Continued hold for inspection or government review.
- Seizure because the goods are inadmissible or prohibited.
- Abandonment or another disposal process under applicable rules.
UPS told NBC News that when it could not obtain the information needed for clearance, available outcomes could include returning the shipment at the shipper’s expense or disposing of it in accordance with customs requirements. The company did not publish a total showing how many packages were ultimately disposed of.
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Were thousands destroyed every day?
That claim is not supported by the available evidence.
One secondary report described thousands of packages as delayed or stuck and discussed a headline suggesting thousands were being destroyed daily. But a backlog or customs delay is not a disposal count. UPS’s cited international volume also cannot be used to calculate destruction: a 2023 annual-report figure of about 3.2 million international shipments per day describes shipment volume, not the number that failed clearance or were discarded.
Similarly, reports said about 90% of packages cleared customs on the first attempt. The remaining 10% could have been delayed, cleared after additional documents, held for inspection, returned, rejected, seized, or disposed of. It is not valid to label all of them destroyed.
UPS later cited an approximately 97% first-day customs-clearance rate in a June 2026 corporate announcement about digital customs tools. That figure is a different snapshot or measurement from the 2025 reporting, and the available material does not establish that the two figures were calculated using identical methods. Neither figure provides a disposal total.
Why did tracking updates contradict one another?
International shipments pass through transportation, customs, brokerage, and delivery systems that may not update at the same time. A transportation scan can occur before final customs release, while an automated message can be triggered by elapsed time or an assumed delivery event.
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Other possibilities include:
- A parcel was flagged for return or disposal while still physically at a facility.
- Tracking data lagged behind a brokerage decision.
- A document was supplied and matched later, allowing release after an earlier warning.
- “On the way,” “information not available,” and “customs delay” represented different system states rather than a single final status.
A later “on the way” scan does not by itself prove that a parcel survived a disposal decision. Ask UPS or the seller for a current physical-status confirmation and a case number.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What affected customers should do
- Contact the seller first. The seller is normally best placed to correct the commercial invoice or provide missing product information.
- Request the exact deficiency. Ask whether the problem is the description, tariff code, origin, value, importer information, permit, duty payment, or another field.
- Contact UPS International Brokerage or customs clearance. Record the date, representative’s name, case number, requested information, and any deadline.
- Ask for the parcel’s precise status. Specifically ask whether it is awaiting documents, payment, inspection, return, disposal, or whether it was physically disposed of.
- Ask whether return to sender remains possible. The answer may depend on the shipment’s terms, customs status, and whether the return window has expired.
- Preserve evidence. Save tracking screenshots, emails, texts, invoices, receipts, proof of payment, submitted documents, and all case numbers.
- Request a replacement or refund from the seller. The remedy depends on the sales contract, marketplace rules, payment method, and applicable law.
- Escalate in writing. Send UPS and the seller a concise chronology with the tracking number and copies of the relevant notices.
- Protect your identity. Do not send a passport, tax number, or other sensitive document through an unverified message. Confirm that the request comes through an official UPS or customs-broker channel.
Do not assume that paying a duty invoice will solve a missing-document problem, or that sending the same document repeatedly will associate it with the correct shipment. Ask for confirmation that the document was received and matched to the tracking number.
What merchants should change
Merchants shipping to the United States should treat customs data as part of the order workflow, not as paperwork that can be fixed after a parcel arrives.
- Use a complete commercial invoice for every applicable shipment.
- Describe products precisely instead of using “gift,” “sample,” or “parts” as a substitute for a product description.
- Confirm the tariff classification and country of origin.
- Declare the correct value and currency.
- Identify the importer of record.
- Decide in advance who pays duties, taxes, and brokerage charges, and communicate that clearly to the buyer.
- Provide a reliable recipient phone number and email address.
- Check whether FDA, FCC, USDA, CPSC, or another agency has requirements for the product.
- Use electronic or paperless customs-document tools where appropriate.
- Retain the exact customs data submitted for each order.
- Create a process for responding quickly to broker questions.
- Tell customers that duties, taxes, or brokerage charges may be payable before release.
- Evaluate whether an alternative carrier or independent customs broker is better suited to complex, regulated, or high-value products.
UPS promotes tools including Paperless Invoice and Export Assure. These may reduce paper handling or classification errors, but they do not eliminate duties, permits, inspections, importer-of-record obligations, or the need for accurate underlying data. A broker also does not automatically transfer all legal responsibility away from the shipper or importer.
Is UPS still destroying packages in 2026?
The major public reporting wave occurred after the August 29, 2025 policy change and appeared on October 10–11, 2025. As of August 18, 2026, that episode should be treated as a documented past disruption—not as proof that UPS is currently destroying thousands of packages every day.
The customs burden remains relevant. UPS’s 2026 materials describe digital documentation and an approximately 97% first-day clearance rate, while its current U.S. service alerts and supply-chain alerts continue to warn that customs conditions, government action, and incomplete documentation can cause delays. Those pages do not confirm mass disposal at the scale suggested by the headline.
Rules and tariffs can also change. For a current shipment, check the latest UPS tariff and customs developments and official CBP guidance rather than relying on an old seller workflow or an estimated delivery date.
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