Australia Post has temporarily halted parcel deliveries to the United States and Puerto Rico, effective immediately and until further notice. The suspension is a direct response to President Donald Trump’s new tariff regime and changes to customs rules that take effect on 29 August.
Under the new rules, the longstanding “de minimis” exemption—which allowed packages worth less than US$800 to enter the US duty-free—has been ended. Now, all parcels will be subject to duties equivalent to the tariffs imposed on the country of origin, with Australian goods facing a baseline 10% tariff.
The suspension applies to most parcels, though gifts worth under US$100 (about A$150), as well as letters and documents, remain unaffected. Australia Post said it was “disappointed” to take this action but called it necessary to develop a workable solution for customers.
Australia Post is working with a third-party provider authorised by US customs to resume services as soon as possible. Customers will be notified when the new system is nearly ready. The Australian government expressed disappointment, saying the rule would drive up costs for American families and small businesses, while the shadow small business minister urged Ambassador Kevin Rudd to lobby Washington.
Other postal services, including those in Japan and Switzerland, have also paused shipments to the US. Trump described the end of de minimis as closing a “catastrophic loophole” that he said allowed illicit fentanyl and other drugs to enter the country.
