Israel Post to begin checking all mail for tariffs: delays, fees expected

Up until now, Israel's postal service was not required by law to check every package in order to evaluate and charge taxes and tariffs, as are private companies such as UPS and DHL.

A woman stands at the counter inside a Israel Post office in Jerusalem (photo credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
A woman stands at the counter inside a Israel Post office in Jerusalem
(photo credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
The Israel Post will begin checking all mail in Israel in February in order to evaluate tariffs and taxes, meaning more taxes will be charged and delivery will take even longer, according to Mako.
Up until now, Israel's postal service was not required by law to check every package in order to evaluate and charge taxes and tariffs. Private companies, such as UPS and DHL, were required to check every package. On January 6, the Supreme Court ruled that the company must also check all imports.
The new policy will take effect on February 15. Consumers will then start paying more sales tax, taxes on specific items and, if the item is worth over $500, tariffs. Different fees will also be charged for all packages worth more than $75.
Israel Post is not expected to meet the requirements set by the Supreme Court due to the fact that the company processes 99% of the packages that arrive in Israel and the company wouldn't be able to handle the load. This will likely lead to delays in package delivery and surprise fees.