The United States Postal Service can reach just about every corner of the globe, including countries on the other side of the world. With a thriving, bustling economy, and more than just a common language, Australia is a destination in many ways for people from the U.S.
However, does that include mail? Does USPS ship to Australia? Keep reading to see what I discovered on this topic!
Does USPS Ship to Australia in [currentyear]?
Under normal circumstances, the United States Postal Service does ship to Australia, even offering Priority Mail Express International with Money-Back Guarantee to this country. However, as of [currentyear], with growing public health concerns, the USPS has suspended most services to Australia, the most notable exception being Global Express Guaranteed.
Let’s get into the USPS’s suspension of most services to Australia, as well as how much it normally costs, how long it can take, and even who the USPS uses for the “last-mile” delivery in Australia. Keep going!
Is USPS Shipping to Australia Still Suspended?
As of [currentyear], the USPS has reconfirmed its temporary suspension of most services going to Australia.
This action began in September 2021, reports eSeller365, when recent world events took a large hold in Australia, raising public health concerns.
Mail centers in Australia took a hard hit, some having to close down, and this limited service availability, as well as the interests of public health, influenced USPS’ decision.
The most commonly used services which temporarily do not run to Australia include the following:
- Priority Mail (and Priority Express) International
- First-Class Package International
- International Priority Airmail
- Airmail M-bags
However, Global Express Guaranteed, First-Class letters, and military mail service continues to Australia uninterrupted.
Unfortunately, due to the unpredictable nature of recent events, there is no telling for sure when this suspension might be lifted.
How Much Does It Cost to Ship to Australia with USPS?
With the 2021-2022 restriction in place, USPS customers are limited to either First Class letters or Global Express Guaranteed to Australia, which makes pricing very simple.
A Global Forever stamp costs $1.30, provided the envelope doesn’t weigh more than an ounce.
As well, they never expire, even if USPS ends up raising prices at some point.
As well, Global Express Guaranteed, which has a max weight of 70 lbs, starts at $101.00 (Australia is Price Group 6) for half an ounce.
It can cost as much as $688.15 if your parcel weighs the full 70 lbs.
This sounds like a crazy price tag, but Global Express Guaranteed is both the most expensive international shipper, as well as the fastest.
Under non-restriction circumstances, you also have the following options:
- Priority Mail Express International Flat Rate: $71.95 (envelope only; 4 lbs. max)
- Priority Mail International Flat Rate: Starts at $41.70 for small box, up to $117.95 for large boxes
- Priority Mail Express International: Starts at $70.95 (for half-pound)
- Priority Mail International: Starts at $57.20
- First-Class Package International: Starts at $15.85
- First-Class Mail International (over 1 oz.): Large envelopes start at $2.60
- Airmail M-Bags: Starts at $97.35
For the full list of prices by weight, see this page (again, Australia is Price Group 6).
How Long Does USPS Take to Ship to Australia?
In [currentyear], the only current options to ship to Australia include Global Express Guaranteed, and First-Class International letters.
Global Express Guaranteed is actually USPS’s fastest international shipping service, taking between 1-3 business days.
Not only is it fast, it has a money-back guarantee that your parcel will arrive within its projected window.
In contrast (but no less noble a service), USPS First Class International is a much slower service for letters or postcards that aren’t in a hurry.
You should budget for 11-20 business days.
Under normal circumstances when there aren’t any shipping restrictions to Australia, the popular Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail take 3-5 and 6-10 business days, respectively.
Who Does USPS Transfer Packages to in Australia?
According to a commenter on Quora, who self-identifies as an international product manager at USPS, when packages reach Australia, they first go through customs.
Once they pass, they then get handed over to Australia Post.
Australia Post is the country’s version of the Postal Service. This company handles the “last-mile” delivery of international shipments and letters.
In return, USPS does the same for mail sent by Australia Post to the U.S.
To learn more about USPS, you can also read our posts on whether or not USPS ships to Puerto Rico, if USPS ships to Canada, and also if USPS ships to China.
Conclusion
While the U.S. and Australia normally share an easy flow of mail back and forth, as of [currentyear], recent events have led to a temporary suspension by USPS.
Undoubtedly, once the situation improves, and Australia Post can resume normal operations, these restrictions will be eased or lifted all together
