New Zealand Postal service has temporarily suspended its services to the US and its territories from August 21. This decision has been taken in view of the 15 percent tariff hike being implemented by the US from August 29 (US Eastern Standard Time).
NZ Post’s official media release mentioned that it is acting quickly in this complex situation and assures customers that they are constantly monitoring the situation. The company also said that many other postal services in the world have also had to temporarily stop parcel services to the US.
NZ Post’s official media release clarified that this service suspension is temporary and work is being done rapidly towards the solution so that services can be restored as soon as possible. He further said that citizens need clear information about the situation and they will keep giving updates from time to time through their website ‘International Delivery Updates’.
NZ Post has announced that only select items, such as letters, passports and legal documents, will still be able to be shipped to the US, amid confusion over the Donald Trump administration’s new tariff policies.
The decision follows recent guidelines from US Customs and Border Protection that necessitate major changes to logistics and delivery processes. NZ Post said in a separate statement that there will now be extensive changes to the entry process for items into the US, including shipment data, duty and tax payments. Also, their major airline partners have also informed that they will not carry mail items affected by these rules.
India, Germany, France, Belgium, Austria and Denmark have also taken similar steps in response to the new US rules, particularly after the announcement of the removal of tax exemptions on small parcels.
The US began the process of implementing “reciprocal tariffs” from April 2025, with most of the tariffs now coming into effect this month, following long-running discussions and delays.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Radio New Zealand on Monday that postal services were trying to understand the new system, but at this point no one was sure what the new tariff rates would be or how much it would cost. He hoped that the situation would soon become clear and NZ Post, along with other postal services in other countries, would work with US authorities to find a solution.
Luckson also said that at present the government has not formally raised the issue with the US, but he is confident that the matter will be resolved soon.
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