Australia Post embargo on parcels to USA.

[Allan]

I have one last set of Schraeder valve stems and dust caps to sell, but Australia post will not accept any parcels from anybody for postage to USA until the beautiful tariff system is ironed out. At present, 10% is to be applied to all shipments of $800 or more. The kicker is there is a flat $80 charge for any parcels under $800. So my $125 set of stems would now be $205. Nobody knows how the tariff will be collected, who will collect it or forward it to whom. I can understand their reticence to inflict this mess on themselves.

I can still get parcels from the USA, tariff free, but I feel sorry for US residents having to fork out for stuff coming in.

Allan from down under.

[TXGOAT2]

Perhaps the Vietnamese antique tire producers will move to Texas.

[DanTreace]

At present, 10% is to be applied to all shipments of $800 or more. The kicker is there is a flat $80 charge for any parcels under $800. So my $125 set of stems would now be $205. Nobody knows how the tariff

Believe the elimination of the de minimus free under $800 is good, as drug smugglers are using it, without declarations, and many commercial foreign i.e.China companies ship direct to USA consumers, getting a pass on duties, our USA companies cannot do the same. Still if the goods are marked as gift sent from non-citizen and under $100 US, are duty free. And a returning USA citizen, traveling more than 48 hrs. can still bring back goods under $800 duty free.

The way I read Australia tariff application is your items of $125 with be only subject to your country 10% baseline tariff, for a total of $137.50 , plus postal weight charges.

Since the regs are new, most foreign postal services are pausing to get specific clarifications on same. Should be ok then.


A bit more reading on the new effective duties, note those (c) specific flat charges of $80-$200 are selectable by the postal carriers, so some may or may not use this optional method, and use the (b) baseline tariff duty.

e) The specific duty methodology provided for .in subsection (c) of this section shall be available for transportation carriers to select for a period of 6 months from the effective date of this order. After such time all shipments to the United States through the international postal network must comply with the ad valorem duty methodology in subsection (b) of this section.

[Allan]

Dan, do you also believe that the de minimus fee will also make the spoken of drug dealers now declare what they are posting, and the $80 minimum fee to be charged will affect their activities. If so, I still have that bridge for sale that I offered previously.

Allan from down under.

[Scott_Conger]

Breaking News

Just reported: Australians facing potential draconian "Spare Bedroom Tax", scrambling to sell cheap goods to USA to raise funds, are stymied by tariffs. Albanese quoted as saying "Once a Prison Colony, always a Prison Colony".

[Allan]

Dan, you are correct. When you add a tariff of 10% to $125 it comes to !37.50. But as it stands, there is a proposed flat fee of $80 for any parcel under $800. And nobody knows if it is to be collected by Auspost at point of postage, or by US Customs when it gets to the USA. Either way, when it is sorted, US residents will be paying more. Until it is sorted, I don't know whether to add 10% to my prices up front for tariff collection here, or send things on and leave customers to foot the bill at their end.

Allan from down under

[TXGOAT2]

A "spare bedroom", eh? There is room here for 3 worker families!

[TXGOAT2]

The tariffs are intended encourage American manufacturing of new goods. They ought not apply to antique goods.

[George House]

“This is something up with which, I shall not put”
Winston Churchill

[TXGOAT2]

Churchill:
"Yes, madam, I am drunk; and you are ugly. Tomorrow, I shall be sober, and you will remain ugly."

[Allan]

Hooray! Now all those America brands like Dickies, Liberty, etc, etc will be making their bib overalls in new factories in USA.
Fortunately, I have some already set aside, so I can wait.

Allan from down under.

[TXGOAT2]

They're welcome to locate production in Texas, and use Texas cotton.

[Steve Jelf]

As the old saying goes, you ain't seen nothin' yet. The American people wanted this, and voted for it, and now they're going to get it. Good and hard.

[TRDxB2]

US tariffs are based on the product's country of origin and not based on where it is being shipped from. So when your able to ship it make sure the country of origin is noted.

[Allan]

That's right Frank, and Australia is a 10% target. My parcel will originate from Australia, carrying US and Canadian second hand goods. A tariff of 10% on a parcel of $800 value will incur a payment of $80. My parcel of $125 worth will carry a minimum payment, also of $80. Go figure.

The problem is The US adminisration responsible for this fiasco is yet to decide how they will put it together. If if it sounds like a brain fart, and works like a brain fart, it probably is a brain fart.

We all await some clear direction, but I will not be holding my breath.

Allan from down under.

[TXGOAT2]

Are our taxes somehow odious, and yours are not?

[Rajo23]

Are our taxes somehow odious, and yours are not?

Well said!!

[DanTreace]

Allan

You might try using the US duty free importation of antiques. This method needs documentation, but is a possible method if your shipper completes the paperwork. Requirement is that "Antiques" must be 100 years old.

Or wait until Australia Post determines how to ship to the US now.





U.S. IMPORT DUTIES (2025)

Goods classified under HTS code 9706.00.00—“antiques of an age exceeding 100 years”—remain duty‑free according to Chapter 97 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (CBP Help).

However, recent “Liberation Day” tariffs announced on April 2, 2025 introduced a 10% universal tariff on nearly all imports (effective April 5) and additional reciprocal tariffs targeting specific countries (8–50%) (Wikipedia). Crucially:

These tariffs are applied under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
Antiques (HTS 9706) remain explicitly exempt from the new tariffs (Wikipedia, Reddit).
Multiple federal courts have stayed portions of the tariff plan, but the overarching framework remains in effect pending appeal (Wikipedia).
That said, dealers report inconsistent enforcement, especially with complex items like paintings, furniture, or coins (Barron's). Some shipments have still been hit with tariffs based on misclassification or broker misunderstandings.


This might help too

[John Codman]

As the old saying goes, you ain't seen nothin' yet. The American people wanted this, and voted for it, and now they're going to get it. Good and hard.

Yup. Be careful what you wish for...

[Drobnock]

Use a postal relay.
Mail to a friend in a country that will accept your post.
Have your friend then mail to the waste land.

Note to self: they are building a physical wall, but with a stroke of a sharpie, a paper wall has been created.

downloadpostal map.png (30.19 KiB) Viewed 234 times

As of August 26, the national postal services of these countries have announced the suspension of shipments to the U.S. of goods valued under $800:

Australia
Austria
Belgium
Czech Republic
Denmark
France
Germany
India
Italy
Japan
New Zealand
Norway
Russia
Singapore
South Korea
Sweden
Switzerland
Spain
Taiwan
Thailand
United Kingdom
Letters, documents and gifts worth less than $800 are still being delivered to the U.S.

[TXGOAT2]

How am I supposed to get my waffles?

[DanTreace]

Well, looks like the UK is getting in line with the new US duties. Bully for 'em.

Posted on UK Royal Mail site on Wed. 27:

How long will the Royal Mail suspension last?

While some signs have suggested that the suspension will last "until further notice", Royal Mail has said it expects the new Postal Delivered Duties Paid (PDDP) services to be available online and in branches from Thursday.

Are there other ways to get parcels to the US in the meantime?

Royal Mail is the only postal service to have stopped sending packages to the US, so other providers such as DPD and Evri International Services can still be used.

[TXGOAT2]

Great news! I can now look forward to receiving my regular newsletter from Her Majesty's Royal Milk Goat Society in a timely manner.

[Luxford]

One way to avoid this is for an Australian to find someone going to the USA for a holiday or business. and have them take it over and post itonce there.
I always have items I purchase on ebay sent to a Model T friend in California (postage is far cheaper than sending to Australia)
My son goes every year to the USA he picks up my purchases and brings them home.
Obviously some personal contact with a person taking them as customs will ask if they have anything given to them that they don't know the contents of, but if Allan for ibstance shows them the valve stems and wrapps them up in front of the person they can honestly say they know what the contents are.
Once in the USA they can hand them to the post office to be sent to the buyer.
Not an answer for everyone but it's surprising how many people would be willing to help do this to help a friend or a friend of a friend.

[Allan]

Peter's suggestions work well. I have had some things posted to a forum poster for consolidation into one parcel to post to Australia. Thank you George. I have had another forum member bring some bibs for me when he came to Australia for a T rally. Thank you Keith. My podiatrist didn't tell me she was going on holiday to the USA, so I missed out there!

There are/were postal services of other countries sending stuff to Australia for on posting to the USA. For a private citizen, that just adds another layer of cost for a second postal charge.

If the UK has it sorted to enable posting parcels, it looks like someone has finally sorted out this mess out enough for some progress. Mouthing off first and then working out how to match words with action never really works well.

I await developments, but not with bated breath.

Allan from down under.

[big2bird]

One way to avoid this is for an Australian to find someone going to the USA for a holiday or business. and have them take it over and post itonce there.
I always have items I purchase on ebay sent to a Model T friend in California (postage is far cheaper than sending to Australia)
My son goes every year to the USA he picks up my purchases and brings them home.
Obviously some personal contact with a person taking them as customs will ask if they have anything given to them that they don't know the contents of, but if Allan for ibstance shows them the valve stems and wrapps them up in front of the person they can honestly say they know what the contents are.
Once in the USA they can hand them to the post office to be sent to the buyer.
Not an answer for everyone but it's surprising how many people would be willing to help do this to help a friend or a friend of a friend.

My Blockney tubes came from UK via friends luggage. He takes Corvette parts back to UK the same way.