USPS Suspends Priority Mail Express International Guarantees to More Countries

Due to complications from the continued COVID-19 pandemic (such as unavailability of transportation in some countries), USPS has suspended more guarantees. This time, the Postal Service has suspended guarantees for the service Priority Mail Express International in eight additional countries.

The Countries Where USPS Has Suspended Priority Mail Express International Guarantees

We’ve listed the eight countries where USPS has suspended Priority Mail Express International (PMEI) guarantees below:

• Australia*
• Canada
• Israel
• Japan
• New Zealand*
• South Korea
• Singapore
• Thailand

Note*: At the time of publishing this article (October 31, 2021), Australia and New Zealand are currently not accepting any USPS packages other than Priority Mail Express International parcels. In order to send packages to these two countries, shippers have two options: either pay for PMEI service without the guarantee, or opt to ship with another carrier altogether, such as UPS or FedEx.

Other PMEI Guarantee Suspensions are Still In Effect

The above countries aren’t the only destinations for which USPS has suspended PMEI guarantees. In fact, USPS suspended Priority Mail Express International guarantees to several other countries during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020…and these suspensions are still in effect. Those countries are as follows:

• China
• Hong Kong
• France
• Great Britain
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland

What Can I Do in the Meantime?

If you need guaranteed international service to one of the countries listed above, USPS isn’t your only option. Similar to sending packages to Australia and New Zealand, a good option is to choose a shipping carrier other than USPS. Carriers with private networks such as UPS and FedEx haven’t experienced the same level of international service disruptions as USPS has, and even though their international services are undoubtedly more expensive than the Postal Service’s, it may be worth it if your business needs to get packages delivered to your international customers in a timely manner.