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5h ago

Australia Post Stops US Transit Mail as European Carriers Suspend Parcels Ahead of De Minimis End

Postal networks remain unprepared to collect required import duties before the Aug. 29 change.

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A self-driving mail truck is seen during its presentation at the Austrian Post logistics centre in Vienna, Austria March 26, 2019. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo
Image
This undated file photo shows a counter for overseas shipments at a local post office. (Yonhap)

Overview

  • Australia Post has suspended its transit service for items destined for the United States, effective Aug. 20, with any transit or misrouted goods arriving at its processing centres to be returned to origin.
  • PostNord (Sweden/Denmark), Posten Bring (Norway) and bpost (Belgium) will halt parcel shipments to the US starting Aug. 23, with PostNord also pausing shipments to Puerto Rico and stating that letters without goods are unaffected.
  • Etsy will suspend purchases of US-bound shipping labels for Australia Post, Canada Post, Evri and Royal Mail from Aug. 25 because those operators cannot support prepaid duties.
  • The moves precede a Trump executive order that suspends the de minimis duty-free treatment for imports under $800 from Aug. 29, with Homeland Security citing a surge in low-value shipments and exploitation of the system.
  • Trade groups and retailers report widespread confusion, as IMAG says many carriers lack collection and remittance systems, and Australia Post is assessing a third-party platform to pay duties on behalf of merchants with charges applied retrospectively.