Australia Post Resumes Parcels to the U.S.: What You Need to Know

What happened

• At the end of August 2025, Australia Post suspended most parcel postage services from Australia to the United States (and its territories) for business customers.  

• The disruption came because the U.S. government removed the “de minimis” exemption, which had allowed goods under USD $800 imported via postal or international shipments without duties. Effective 29 August 2025, this change meant all goods, regardless of value, arriving in the U.S. must have duties and taxes prepaid before entry.  

• Australia Post and many other national postal services were unprepared for how to comply with the new duty-prepayment requirement. There was a lack of clarity about how to collect, declare, and remit duties ahead of goods entering U.S. customs.  

What’s changed / What’s being done

• AusPost has partnered with Zonos, a U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP)-approved third-party service provider. Zonos helps collect and prepay the required duties/taxes and handle customs compliance.  

• New “mandatory declaration requirements” are in place: senders must include for each item in their parcel:

1. Country of Origin (COO),

2. Value of Goods,

3. Harmonised System (HS) tariff code.  

• A Zonos Verified Account is required for business customers so that duties can be prepaid to U.S. Customs before goods arrive. Parcels that are not linked to a verified account, or do not comply with the new rules, risk being returned to sender.  

When things are resuming

• Australia Post has officially resumed sending parcels under its business contracts to the U.S. as of around 22 September 2025.  

• Retail postal services (i.e. over-the-counter in post offices) are expected to be fully back in service by 7 October 2025. These include gifts valued over USD $100 and business parcels requiring counter assessment.  

What’s still exempt / what’s always been okay

• Letters, documents of no commercial value, and gifts under USD $100 remain exempt from the new tariff rules and can continue to be sent (though they still have to meet the mandatory declaration requirements).  

Impact & implications

• The suspension hit small businesses hard, many of which rely on Australia Post for sending goods overseas cheaply. Delays meant lost sales, inventory/logistics backlogs, and uncertainty.  

• With the removal of “de minimis,” lower-value items will now incur duties and potentially extra fees, which may increase costs for both sender and/or recipient. Retailers will need to adjust pricing, customer expectations, and possibly packaging/shipping strategies.  

• There is also the administrative overhead of ensuring accurate declarations (value, origin, HS codes), linking accounts with Zonos, and managing duty payments in advance. Some parcels that do not comply may be rejected or returned.  

What you should do (if you’re sending/receiving)

1. If you’re a business customer: set up a Zonos Verified Account early. Make sure your business customer number or merchant location ID is accurate.  

2. Check that you have the required information for items: correct HS codes, country of origin, value. Inaccurate or incomplete information could cause delays or returns.  

3. For retail senders and individuals: know whether what you’re sending is exempt (gifts under USD $100, letters/documents). If not, the goods will now be subject to duties.  

4. Adjust cost estimates for shipping & duty, especially if pricing goods to U.S. buyers or factoring in delivery expectations.  

What to watch out for going forward

• Changes in U.S. customs/tariff policy could continue, possibly making further adjustments necessary.  

• How transparent and efficient the duty collection and declaration process will be: delays or unexpected fees remain a risk.

• Customer satisfaction: shipping delays or unexpected customs fees can erode trust; businesses may need to update shipping policies or customer notices.