Due to recent changes in US customs regulations, Australia Post has temporarily suspended all shipping services to the United States and Puerto Rico. This change affects all shipments entering the US via postal services. Parcels lodged after 26 August 2025 will be rejected and returned to sender. Letters or documents of no commercial value are still accepted but require full declarations. Shipments that are already in transit may face holds, rejections, or be returned to sender.
This article explains what these changes are and what you can do to continue shipping to your customers in the US.
What's happening?
Postal services like Australia Post have implemented a temporary service disruption while they adjust to the new US regulations. This means that parcels to United States and Puerto Rico addresses lodged after 26 August 2025 will be rejected and returned to sender. Letters or documents of no commercial value are still accepted but require full declarations. Shipments that are already in transit may face holds, rejections, or be returned to sender.
From now on:
Postal shipments must be sent Delivery Duty Paid (DDP): duties and taxes will only be collected at origin, so postal shipments must be sent DDP.
Accurate HS (harmonised system) codes are essential: You must have accurate HS codes and product descriptions for all goods.
Detailed customs information is essential: Country of Origin (COO) is now mandatory, and clearance processes are more rigorous, which could mean greater scrutiny and longer processing times.
🚨 WARNING: If you do not meet US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations, your shipment can be delayed, failed, or returned to you. In some cases, you can be blocked by US customs, and banned from shipping to the US in the future.
What you need to do
To ensure your shipments reach your US customers without delays or unexpected costs, you'll need to update your shipping practices.
Here’s what we recommend:
Use accurate HS codes and detailed product descriptions: Properly classifying your products is now essential for US customs clearance. You can do this by providing a detailed product description or, preferably, the correct HS (harmonised system) code. Shippit can automatically apply the correct HS code from your product details, simplifying the process. For more information about writing product descriptions, see the effective product descriptions article.
Provide Country of Origin (COO) details: You must include the Country of Origin for all products in your shipments to the US. For more information about determining the country of origin for your shipments, see the international duties and taxes article.
Include the manufacturer ID (MID) code for all products being shipped: you need to include a MID code for Customs and Border Control (CBP) to provide import clearance. For more information about MID codes, see the international duties and taxes article.
Plan duties and taxes upfront: To avoid your customers being charged unexpected fees, you can calculate the total landed cost before shipping. Shippit partners with Zonos to show you a full breakdown of duties and taxes before you book, including a landed cost guarantee, without requiring an additional Zonos account. For more information about the landed cost guarantee, see the international duties and taxes article.
Switch to a DDP-enabled carrier: With the recent changes, postal services no longer support Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU) or Delivered at Place (DAP) shipments. We strongly recommend using a carrier that offers a Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) service. With DDP, all duties and taxes are paid upfront, ensuring a smooth customs clearance process and a better experience for your customers. For more information about using shipping incoterms, see the shipping DDP article.
Frequently asked questions
This section contains information about some common issues you might encounter with switching from Australia Post to another carrier for US carrier services. If you can't find an answer to your question here, get in touch with us using the chat in your Shippit account, or reach out to Shippit support.
What other carriers can I use to ship to the United States?
Speak to your Shippit account manager to discuss the carriers that are right for you. We currently have agreements for shipping to the US with FedEx, Asendia, and our own Smart Routing International. You can also review the know your international carrier collection.
Is there any way to ship to the US using Australia Post while this is happening?
You can still use Australia Post to ship to the US, if you have an Australia Post Global Logistics (AGPL) service code. The AGPL service provides commercial clearance to facilitate customs processing for low-risk and low-value items, allowing you to ship using DDP, and is typically only for high-volume shippers. Speak to your Australia Post account manager to find out if you qualify. If you already have an AGPL product code, talk to your Shippit account manager about getting it included in your Shippit account.
How do we change to shipping DDP by default in our Shippit account?
Provided you have carriers that support DDP enabled in your account, you can turn on DDP as default incoterm directly in your Shippit settings. For more information, see the incoterm settings article.
Do we need to do anything other than turning on DDP?
You also need to provide accurate product descriptions, and appropriate HS codes. For more information, see the duties and taxes article.
When shipping with landed cost guarantee through Shippit, how do the duties and taxes get billed?
Shippit partners with Zonos to provide a landed cost guarantee in your Shippit account. Generally speaking, this is how that is billed:
Your customer pays for the duties and taxes at checkout. This can be a separate amount that you charge on top of the product price, or you might charge a flat fee that you incorporate into the shipping or product costs. The ways you can do this vary based on the checkout or ecommerce system you are using.
When you book the order in your Shippit account, the duties and taxes are shown alongside the shipping costs. This amount is guaranteed by Zonos, and paid as part of your regular Shippit billing cycle. If you are using your own Zonos account, then you would pay Zonos directly instead.
For DDP orders, the carrier pays duties and taxes to customs in the receiving country, or to an appropriate broker. This amount might vary from the amount guaranteed by Zonos, and any discrepancy is covered by Zonos.