UPDATES
Receiver details will soon be mandatory
Dear Customer,
We are writing to advise the introduction of parcel lodgement process changes. From 31 May 2026, you will be required to provide recipient contact details for every parcel. You will soon receive a separate email outlining changes to your MyPost Business Online Sending Terms of Use.
Preparing for 31 May 2026
Please provide receiver details to continue delivering with Australia Post:
From 31 May 2026, you will not be able to complete an order and print labels for most Australia Post parcels products – including Parcel Post, Express Post – unless you provide an accurate recipient email address and/or Australian mobile number for every parcel.
The mandatory capture of the recipient's Australian mobile number and/or email address – for all domestic shipments via eParcel and MyPost Business – supports the transfer of street addressed parcels to parcel lockers (if no one is home when delivery is attempted).
New Parcel Locker and Parcel Collect addresses will be progressively available to create an order and print labels, soon after 31 May 2026.
We're here to help
If you'd like to discuss any of these changes and how they specifically apply to you as a sender, please call us on 13 11 18, Monday to Friday, 8am – 6pm (AEST).
Regards,
The Australia Post Team
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Canada Service Suspension: Due to national union strike action, Canada Post has advised all countries to temporarily stop sending all items to Canada. As a result, all services to and from Canada are temporarily suspended as of 29 September 2025.Click here for more
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United States tariff update
The United States (US) has introduced new tariffs on imported goods. This may affect the way you send parcels overseas.
Information for personal customers
Information for business customers
Prohibitions
The following items are prohibited from importation, meaning they won't be allowed to enter the destination country, territory or region.
To check which items are considered dangerous and prohibited for sending from Australia, download our Prohibited and Restricted item list and packaging guide (1.1MB).
Alcoholic beverages
Animals and animal products
Animal or vegetable fats/oils
Arms and ammunition
Cereals
Coffee and tea
Chain letters
Cork and articles of cork
Dairy produce, birds’ eggs; natural honey
Fruit, nuts and citrus peel
Fertilizers
Furs
Inorganic and organic chemicals
Lottery tickets or related advertising
Lac, gums and resins
Lithium batteries (including devices containing lithium batteries)
Mineral fuels and oils
Measuring, medical or surgical instruments
Meat and fish products
Optical, photographic, cinematographic products
Printed books, newspapers, pictures- offensive by nature
Preparations of meat, fish or crustaceans
Schedule 8 & PBS drugs
Tobacco and tobacco products
Vegetables and vegetable products
Wool, animal hair
Wood and articles of wood
Wine
Wheat products
Transporting food of any kind, cash and perfumes are prohibited under International Courier.
Important notice: Temporary suspension of some postal services to the US and new tariff rules (effective 29 August 2025)
The United States recently announced significant changes to its import tariff rules that will impact customers sending items from Australia to the US and its overseas territories, including Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
From Tuesday 26 August 2025, Australia Post is temporarily suspending some international postal services to these destinations due to the changes.
Letters and documents of no commercial value, and gifts valued under USD$100 are not impacted by the new tariff rules or temporary suspension.
Gifts valued under USD$100
This exemption only applies to individuals sending to individuals. If the sender’s information includes a business name or looks like a purchase it will not qualify as a gift.
These items must still comply with new mandatory declaration requirements.
The mandatory declaration information required includes:
Country of Origin (COO). The country of origin refers to the country of manufacture.
Value of Goods. This must be declared accurately for each item within the article. Values less than AUD$1.00 will not be accepted.
Harmonised System (HS) tariff code for each item on the customs declaration.
We will update customers if this information changes.
Note:
Items missing any of the required information will be returned to sender.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will not assess or accept items with incomplete declarations.
Information above is subject to change. Australia Post is monitoring the situation closely and will provide updates on the impacts of the regulatory changes on our customers, and Australian outbound postal services to the US, as they become available.
We recommend you visit the official websites of the relevant authorities for the most up-to-date information.
Mail Security
The United States Postal Service has advised that, owing to heightened security, longer delivery times are likely for articles addressed to US government agencies. This applies in particular to Washington DC five-digit zip codes ranging from 202xx - 205xx.
Mail may be subject to irradiation treatment prior to delivery. The irradiation process is safe, but the US Postal Service is advising mail users that particular commodities may be affected:
Any biological sample e.g. blood samples, could be rendered useless
Diagnostic kits e.g. to monitor blood sugar levels, may be adversely affected
Photographic film will be fully exposed
Food will be adversely affected
Drugs and medicines could have their efficacy affected
Eyeglasses and contact lenses could be adversely affected
Electronic devices would probably be rendered inoperable
The US Postal Service advises that each irradiated mail article will bear an official notification to the addressee that the item was subjected to an irradiation process.
Batteries
All types of batteries and devices containing them (e.g. laptops, mobile phones, wireless headphones and equivalent, power banks, tablets, etc.) are prohibited from being sent via International Courier.
Medications
All types of medications are prohibited from being sent via International Courier:
Non doctor prescribed e.g. Panadol
Pharmacy only e.g. labelled with pharmacy and recipient name
Doctor prescribed e.g. asthma puffer, insulin tablets/needle, heart medications
Controlled/illegal e.g. Morphine, Methadone, Hemp Seed Oil, Cannabinoids
Import restrictions
If an item is subject to import restrictions, it means that provisions must be met before it will be released from customs in the destination country, territory or region.
We recommend you confirm import restrictions with local authorities before posting:
Alcoholic beverages
Animals and animal products
Firearms
Foodstuffs
Goods originating from Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria
Hides
Knives
Pharmaceutical products
Registered articles
Skins
Tobacco and tobacco products
Vegetable and other plant products
Weapons
Wool
Import Tax Threshold
Any goods valued over $800 USD (de minimis value) are subject to import duty tax. However, items valued below $800 are exempt from duty, unless they fall under the De Minimis exception list. The USD$800 duty exemption will be suspended on 29 August 2025.
Okay to send? Send responsibly.
As the sender, it's your responsibility to make sure your items don't break any laws or rules – both within Australia and in the destination country.
Restrictions and conditions can change at short notice so the information on this page should be used as a guide only. For the latest information, you should check the UPU prohibitions & restrictions (PDF 3.2MB) or contact the destination country's customs, postal trade or government authority.
It's also your responsibility to check if the destination country imposes any duties, taxes, brokerage fees or any other fees on the item you're sending. If you're unsure, please contact the consulate office of the destination country.
Special documentation
In addition to our customs forms, authorities in the destination country, territory or region require further documentation for some items.
Senders should provide a Certificate of Origin, whenever possible.
As a result of new regulations issued by the Food and Drug Administration under the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, all shipments of articles of food to the United States must be preceded by a prior notice of shipment. This applies to articles shipped for commercial purposes or as gifts.
Articles of food include (but are not limited to): food for humans or animals, dietary supplements, nutritional supplements, vitamins, food and colour additives.
Articles of food which are non-commercially prepared by an individual in his own residence and sent to another individual as a (non-commercial) gift are exempt from submission of this prior notice. This prior notice may be submitted and a prior notice conformation number obtained via access.fda.gov/index.html#prior.
Mail shipments containing food articles for which a prior notice conformation number has not been entered on the customs declaration may be returned to the sender or (if no return address is included) destroyed.
Should you require information on what must be submitted with a prior notice, consult the Food and Drug Administration.
Delivery locations & exclusions
Before sending to this destination, it’s worth noting a few more details about our international delivery services.
International Express (carried via the EMS network) - Parcels deliver to all destinations
International Express - Parcels does deliver to a Post Office Box and Poste Restante.
International Courier
Check our International Courier page for more details.
Shipments must be lodged at the counter at a participating Post Office (PDF 832kB) by the cut-off time, which may vary by outlet. Please fill out the online CN23 customs form prior to visiting the outlet.
International Courier does not deliver to a Post Office Box or Poste Restante.
Metropolitan delivery to (valid postcodes in brackets):
New York (10000 to10292)
Los Angeles (90001 to 90189)
Chicago (60290 to 60827)
Houston (77001 to 77299)
Philadelphia (19019 to 19255)
Phoenix (85001 to 85099)
San Antonio (78201 to 78299)
San Diego (92101 to 92199)
Dallas (75201 to 75398)
San Jose (95101 to 95196)
For more information from the overseas carrier, check the United States Postal Service website.
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Dear Valued Customer,
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Australia Post is pleased to update our business customers that we plan to resume postal services to the United States (US) and its overseas territories on or before, Thursday 25 September 2025.
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This resumption follows changes the US Government made to customs and import tariff rules, which saw Australia Post, along with numerous other international postal operators, make the difficult decision to temporarily suspend partial postal services to the US, Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, US Virgin Islands and US Minor Outlying Islands.
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Australia Post is working with Zonos®, one of a limited number of authorised US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Universal Postal Union third-party providers, to provide our customers with a solution to meet the new rules to deliver to the US.
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What you need to do
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You will need to register with Zonos® and set up your Zonos® Verified Account as soon as possible. This is free and completing it early will ensure you are ready to send when delivery services resume. Shipments that are not linked to a Zonos® Verified Account and are unable to have duties paid to CBP, will be returned to sender.
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Information about how to send to the US once you have established a Verified Zonos® Account can be found on the International pages of the Australia Post website.
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We’re here to help
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Our team is working around the clock to ensure service is resumed as soon as possible and we will continue to keep you updated as we work towards removing the temporary suspension.
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Please note, US tariff information is subject to change. We are monitoring the situation closely and providing updates on our website. We recommend you visit the official websites of the relevant authorities for the most up-to-date information.
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If you have any questions or would like to discuss how we can support you further, please contact us during these hours Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm (AEST).
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Regards,
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S’MOKO CO
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Temporary suspension of some postal services to the US
26 August 2025
Australia Post has temporarily suspended some postal services to the United States and its overseas territories, including Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and the U.S Minor Outlying Islands. See more details under 'North America' below.
United States of America
26 August 2025: Due to recently announced changes to import tariffs for postal items sent to the US and its overseas territories, Australia Post has temporarily suspended some postal services to these destinations, effective 26 August 2025 until further notice.
