Australia and Switzerland have announced the suspension of postal deliveries to the United States, joining several other countries that have already halted shipments in response to new American tariff rules.
The move comes ahead of new levies that will take effect on 29 August following an executive order signed on 30 July. The order removes the De Minimis exemption, which previously allowed goods valued below 800 US dollars to enter the country without duties. Under the new regulations, tariffs must now be prepaid before parcels arrive in the United States.
Australia Post confirmed on Tuesday 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”. Australian retailers who relied on the tax-free entry for low-value parcels will now face restrictions, as all shipments will be subject to duties.
Similarly, Swiss Post announced on Monday that it would stop accepting parcels to the United States except for urgent express mail such as official documents and certificates. The postal operator explained that the sudden removal of the 800 US dollar exemption had disrupted global shipping processes. It added that it is exploring options to allow limited shipments, including gifts exchanged between individuals valued up to 100 US dollars.
Other countries including India, the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Germany, Italy and Denmark have also paused shipments to the United States. India confirmed that most parcel services will stop from 25 August, with only letters and small gifts exempt. France’s postal service said the abrupt rule change left no time to update its digital systems, while the UK’s Royal Mail confirmed it would halt shipments from Tuesday to ensure deliveries cleared before duties take effect.
From 29 August, all international parcels will be subjected to duties, with exemptions only for letters, books, documents and gifts worth less than 100 US dollars.
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