Impacts on Shipments Going to Australia
Australia has blocked First Class Package International and Priority Mail International shipments from entering the country; shippers still have other options to get packages to Australian customers
As of Friday, September 3rd, Australia has temporarily stopped accepting certain shipments into its borders. This is due to COVID-19 transportation limitations on commercial flights into the country. Australia has currently locked down commercial flights to prevent further outbreak of the virus. This causes a total block for USPS First Class Package International and Priority Mail International shipments, since these packages travel on these very same commercial flights.
First Class Package International and Priority Mail International Shipments are Blocked to Australia
Right now, First Class Package International and Priority Mail International are the only international services that Australia isn’t currently accepting. That’s the bad news. The good news is, you can still use a litany of other international shipping services to get packages to your customers in the country.
Heads up: If you’ve sent a shipment to Australia with First Class Package International or Priority Mail International sometime in the past couple of weeks, the package may or may not come back to you, depending on if Australia accepted it prior to September 3rd or not.
Some Other Affordable International Services You Can Use
Just because First Class Package International and Priority Mail International are currently out of the picture for Australia doesn’t mean you can’t ship there anymore. Here are some other international services to get the job done in the meantime.
Simple Export Rate
On the shipping software Pirate Ship, you’ll find a special international service called Simple Export Rate. Simple Export Rate is hands down the cheapest service for overseas packages you’ll find anywhere. This service actually uses Asendia USA as a partner carrier, and not the US Postal Service. Asendia also doesn’t rely on commercial flights to deliver any packages in its network. Therefore, these packages will still make it to Australia just fine, since Asendia uses its own private flights to Australia.
USPS Priority Mail Express International
Priority Mail Express International is another fine option that to get shipments into Australia until this shutdown blows over. Australia is prioritizing these shipments over others, and they will get there much faster than Simple Export Rate shipments might. However, this is undoubtedly the more expensive option, and these packages will probably be subject to COVID-19 related delays anyway.
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Nannynannybooboo
Can I send a package to Australia now? (April 2022)
It was returned last year and it’s not cheap, even though it is a very small and lightweight package!
Really
Australia didn’t block it. That’s not a thing nor even possible. USPS were clear in their initial announcement. They stopped sending to Australia, NZ and a bunch of other countries because commercial flights to them had virtually ceased. This was causing a huge backlog in USPS Collection Centres which was unsustainable.
David
Rachel Maddow just reported October 1, 2021 The Sydney Morning Herald said You are wrong. “The U.S. national postal service began halting services last month due to unavailability of transport, with many items destined for Australia returned to their U.S. senders”. Saying our crooked postmaster general Randy LaJoy said, “we just don’t have the capability to mail to Australia anymore”. I don’t know where you got this covid lie from. But you may want to Google this again.
James
Rachel Maddox ? Really ? Lol
Dave
Being a worldwide shipper I’d have to ask you why a package we shipped to Australia arrived there and was sent back to us because Australia would not allow it to be distributed within their country? As James said “Rachel Maddox ? Really ? Lol”.Your obvious blind hate of President Trump is blocking any intelligence you might have had.
Get over it, he isn’t President any more and even when he was, he probably wasn’t YOUR president. ROFLMFAO
John Taylor
Asendia USA is locked out of Australia just like USPS according to their website.