Australia Post has temporarily suspended multiple forms of postage to the United States due to import tariff rules introduced by Donald Trump.
The move is effective from Wednesday and will remain in place until further notice, the statement said on Tuesday.
‘Australia Post is dedicated to offering a dependable and competitive service for international parcel deliveries,’ stated executive Gary Starr.
‘The guidance from US Customs and Border Protection was issued only recently. Along with over 190 other postal services, we’ve been swiftly working to develop a solution.’
‘We’re disheartened to have taken this step, but given the complex and rapidly changing situation, a temporary partial suspension was necessary to formulate and implement an effective solution for our clientele.’
The action is in response to the Trump administration’s significant changes to customs and import tariff rules for parcels sent to the US.
This involves suspending the ‘De Minimis exemption’ for incoming items costing under US$800 (approximately $1,230), in addition to those that require tariffs to be prepaid before arriving in the US.
Emma Jean Jansen, a quilt designer and educator based in Victoria, had to cease accepting orders from US customers starting August 15 due to increased shipping tariffs.
Australia Post has suspended some postage methods to the United States (stock image)
‘The hardest part for my business is trying to find information,’ she told ABC News.
‘I’m not surprised (by the announcement). Until a solution is finalised and properly implemented, they didn’t really have a choice.’
Discussing her own decision to stop taking US orders, she said it was the only way forward.
‘It was a big call to suspend shipping to the US, my largest customer base, but I had no choice,’ she said.
But 94-year-old Australian author Everald Compton said he had faced issues with sending his books to the US before this announcement.
‘This is long overdue. When I mail my books to customers in USA they rarely arrive and cost is exorbitant,’ he said on X.
‘Same happens in reverse. USA Post Office absolutely corrupt & hopeless.’
The temporary suspension will impact Business Contract, MyPost Business and Retail customers sending goods through the postal network.
Australia Post made the decision after import tariff rules were introduced by Donald Trump
Gifts under US$100 ($153), letters and documents will be unaffected by this change.
The temporary partial suspension also affects mail to Puerto Rico since it falls under US Customs jurisdiction and is similarly affected by the tariff adjustments.
Items sent to the US and Puerto Rico lodged on or after Wednesday, August 26, will not be accepted by Australia Post until further notice.
The dramatic move is in line with action taken by other postal operators across the world.
Last week, New Zealand Post said it was temporarily suspending parcel shipping to the US and would only carry letters and documents until further notice.
In Europe, the UK’s Royal Mail, France’s La Poste, Germany’s Deutsche Post, Spain’s Correos and Poste Italiane stopped most shipments to the US over the weekend.
There have also been similar changes among Belgian, Swedish and Danish postal services.
Postal services group DHL, which is based in Germany, also said it would temporarily suspend the acceptance and transport of business customer parcels via the postal network to the US.
It will not accept items sent to the US lodged on or after Wednesday until further notice
But it said shipping through DHL Express would remain possible.
For Australia Post, the decision comes just a day after the company announced it would hire 3,500 seasonal team members ahead of the busy Christmas period.
Until the announcement, parcels of goods worth less than $US800 ($1,230) were not taxed when they reached the US.
But this exemption is due to end on August 29 for imports from all countries and will mean low-value parcels will be slapped with tariffs or flat fees.
Australia Post is working with Zonos, an authorised US Customs and Border Protection third-party provider, on a solution for business customers.
Australian customers seeking an update can check the Australia Post website or call 13 POST (13 7678).
