Australia Post to Resume US Deliveries Sept. 25 After Suspension Linked to U.S. Customs Rule Changes

Australia Post said it will lift a temporary suspension of some postal services to the United States on Thursday, Sept. 25, after halting shipments in response to recent changes to U.S. customs and tariff rules.

The suspension followed the U.S. administration’s removal of the so-called de minimis exemption for inbound parcels — which previously exempted goods valued below US$800 — and new requirements for prepayment of duties and taxes before items arrive in the United States. Australia Post said those rule changes disrupted international parcels flows and the ability of many postal operators to provide cost-efficient delivery to U.S. destinations.

Gary Starr, an Australia Post executive, told customers the organisation had aimed to re-establish service as soon as practical and would bring the suspension to an end on Sept. 25 if operational preparations remained on track. "While we are planning to lift the temporary suspension on Thursday 25 September, if we are able to lift this earlier, we absolutely will," Starr said. He added that Australia Post, along with more than 190 other international postal operators, had been "caught in a fast-moving situation not of our making" and had been working to find a solution.

Australia Post said the suspension had principally affected customers and small exporters who rely on the national postal operator to send low-value goods to the United States at competitive prices. The change to the de minimis threshold — and the requirement that tariffs be prepaid — has required carriers and postal agencies to adapt systems for duty collection and customs processing, pushing some providers to temporarily pause services while they implemented compliant arrangements.

The company did not provide a precise date when the suspension was first imposed but said the pause was a direct response to the U.S. policy shifts. Australia Post said staff had been working around the clock to establish the systems and processes needed to meet the new import and tariff rules and to minimise further disruption for exporters.

Postal operators globally have faced logistical and IT challenges after the new U.S. rules took effect, with industry groups warning of potential cost increases and delays for cross-border e-commerce. Australia Post's announcement gives affected senders and online retailers a provisional timeline to plan for the resumption of standard postal services to the United States.

Australia Post said it would provide further updates to customers if the reinstatement date changed and encouraged senders to check the operator’s service notices for the latest information.