Australia Post to resume delivery to the US by September 25 after tariffs sparked halt

Australia Post will resume deliveries to the United States on or before September 25, after major changes to import tariff and customs rules sparked an extraordinary halt.

The suspension, which began on August 26, affected Business Contract, MyPost Business and retail customers, though gifts valued under USD$100, letters, and documents were exempt.

In a statement on Tuesday morning, Australia Post confirmed it is working with Zonos, an authorised US Customs and Border Protection and Universal Postal Union third-party provider, to meet the new requirements and allow deliveries to resume.

“Along with more than 190 other postal providers internationally, we’ve been caught in a fast-moving situation not of our making,” AusPost executive Gary Starr said.

“The real impact has been on our customers who export their goods to the US accessing our cost-efficient postal service, so we’ve been working around the clock to find a solution.

“Our priority has always been to have a solution up and running as soon as possible, while keeping our customers updated and informed. We want to provide customers with as much notice as possible to prepare and facilitate their business planning.

“While we are planning to lift the temporary suspension on Thursday 25 September, if we are able to lift this earlier, we absolutely will.”

The partial suspension followed changes announced by the US government at the end of August, which scrapped the previous tariff exemption for items under USD$800 ($A1230) and required prepayment of duties.

The new rules aimed to prevent misuse of the system by large online retailers and to block shipments of illicit substances such as fentanyl.

Monash Business School senior lecturer Nicola Charwat said small Australian businesses that sell directly to American consumers were among those most affected.

“This includes businesses specialising in sustainable clothing and gifts as well as distinctly Australian goods such as cosmetics, food and wine. These parcels will now be subject to a 10 per cent baseline tariff,” Dr Charwat said.

The temporary pause has also hit many online shoppers in the US, who faced either restricted access to Australian goods or higher costs to cover tariffs.

FedEx and other express international carriers were not affected by the change, as the new tariffs apply only to postal operators.

Opposition small business spokesman Tim Wilson previously said the suspension was “very concerning”.

“A lot of small businesses depend on Australia Post to ship small goods internationally,” Mr Wilson said.

“Small businesses are going to be the ones most impacted by this decision. We need government to engage … to make sure this relationship is sorted.”