USPS Suspends delivery to australia for certain mail classes

9/15/2021 Update: The USPS has temporarily suspended Priority Mail International shipments to Australia as of September 17, 2021. To avoid disruption, use GlobalPost Standard or Priority Mail Express International to ship your packages to Australia. Get more info on GlobalPost Standard

The U.S. Postal Service has TEMPORARILY suspended First Class Package International Service (as of September 3, 2021) and Priority Mail International (as of September 17, 2021) delivery to Australia due to carrier issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Priority Mail Express International delivery is not being impacted and mailpieces will continue to be delivered.

If your First Class Package International Service parcel is already in transit, the international carriers will endorse the items as “Mail Service Suspended — Return to Sender” and then place the package in the mail stream for return. The USPS will provide a full refund of the shipping costs paid when service to the country of destination is suspended.

Alternate Delivery Options to Australia
If you have a shipment you need to send to Australia during this suspension period, we recommend the following options:

UPS International Shipping – get discounted rates up to 76% off with no peak surcharge

USPS Priority Mail Express International – get discounted rates up to 7% off Post Office rates

GlobalPost International Standard – Get door-to-door tracking capabilities to over 200 countries

What is GlobalPost International Standard?
GlobalPost International Standard uses a network of postal carriers which provides a similar service to First Class Package International Service at a lower rate.  If you don’t see GlobalPost International Standard as an option in your Stamps.com shipping software, contact Customer Care at 1-888-434-0055 (open Monday to Friday, 6 am to 6 pm PT) to request access to GlobalPost carrier services. 

Recommended for you
USPS Changes Customs Form Acceptance

USPS Changes Customs Form Acceptance

Unless you’re dropping a shipment off at the Post Office retail counter, customs declaration forms (AKA customs forms) for packages being sent internationally through USPS must now be completed and submitted online. In other words, no more filling out these forms by hand without making a trip to the Post Office. According to a recent […]

Becoming a Non-Resident Importer to Canada

Becoming a Non-Resident Importer to Canada

Canada, our familiar neighbors to the north. When looking to grow globally, Canada is easily the first place to look for e-commerce merchants in the U.S. It’s only natural. We’re close to our Canadian neighbors in proximity, language and culture. Yet, exporting goods to Canada isn’t as easy as it may look. U.S.-based retailers face a number […]

Australia Changes GST Laws for Imports Under A$1,000

Australia Changes GST Laws for Imports Under A$1,000

International e-commerce sellers that ship products to Australia should be aware of a new tax starting July 1, 2018. The Australia Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a 10% fee that the Australian government adds to all goods and services being imported into Australia. The GST is meant to help protect Australian businesses from cheaper […]