Australia joins India, others in suspending postal deliveries to US

Sydney, Aug 26 (IANS) Postal services in Australia and Switzerland have become the latest to announce a suspension of deliveries to the United States, joining a growing list of countries halting shipments in response to the Trump administration's sudden tariff changes.

The move comes ahead of new levies set to take effect on Friday, August 29.

Several other countries, including India, the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Germany, Italy, and Denmark, had already declared similar pauses in shipping goods to the United States.

Australia Post on Tuesday confirmed that it will "temporarily partially suspend postal sending to the United States (US) and Puerto Rico, effective 26 August 2025, until further notice."

The agency said the decision was necessary due to "recent significant changes the US Government has made to customs and import tariff rules for parcels sent to the US."

It explained that the changes include the suspension of the De Minimis exemption for inbound goods valued below $800 and a requirement that tariffs be prepaid before items arrive in the US.

As a result, Australian businesses will be unable to send products to American customers using Australia Post from Tuesday onwards. Until now, parcels worth less than $800 (about AUD 1,230) entered the US tax-free, a loophole heavily relied upon by Australian retailers selling abroad, according to local media reports.

That exemption will formally end on August 29, when all low-value parcels will be subjected to tariffs or flat fees.

The decision, laid out in an executive order signed on July 30, has left many postal services around the world scrambling to comply.

In a parallel move, Swiss Post of Switzerland announced it will no longer accept postal consignments destined for the United States, with the exception of urgent express mail such as official documents and certificates.

The agency said on Monday that it would temporarily halt parcel deliveries, citing new US customs regulations that obstruct the regular shipping process. It added that the decision mirrors those taken by other European postal operators.

Swiss Post noted that the US government's sudden removal of the $800 exemption has created major uncertainty for global carriers.

It is currently considering ways to allow limited consignments, such as gifts exchanged between private individuals valued at up to $100, to resume.

The postal service is also exploring alternative methods outside traditional postal networks to keep some flows of goods moving.

Recently, India also confirmed that it will suspend the majority of parcel shipments to the US beginning August 25, with exceptions only for letters and small gifts.

France's La Poste complained that the abrupt policy shift gave them no time to reconfigure digital systems to handle the new customs requirements.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom's Royal Mail said it would suspend shipments starting Tuesday to ensure all deliveries cleared before duties come into force.

According to CBS News, the new rules stem from a decree signed by President Donald Trump in July. Beginning August 29, all international parcels previously covered under the de minimis rule will be subject to import duties.

The only exemptions will be for letters, books, documents, and small gifts worth less than $100.

--IANS

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