New Zealand stops postal shipments to the US amid new 15% tariff, echoing steps taken by India, Italy, and more nations
NZ Post to Temporarily Suspend Deliveries to the US Amid New Tariffs
NZ Post will temporarily suspend transferring parcels to the United States, with only essential correspondence similar as letters, passports, and legal documents continuing to be delivered to the country, as was reported on Thursday.
In a statement, NZ Post assured guests that it was working with urgency and inflexibility to alleviate the impact on New Zealanders. “ This is a complex situation, and we want to assure Kiwis that we’re doing everything we can.
The company said it was working as fast as possible to find solutions for the New Zealand postal suspension to the US and its territories. “We understand customers want certainty. Updates will continue to be posted on our international delivery updates page as the situation develops,” the statement added.
NZ Post stated that guidelines by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were only released recently and included a number of changes for both businesses and postal operators. These changes include New Zealand US trade data requirements, payment of duties and taxes, and how goods would be processed when entering the US.
NZ Is Not the Only Country Making These Moves
New Zealand is by no means the only country to respond to the move by temporarily pausing certain mail services. India, Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, and Denmark have all also suspended certain mail services after the Trump administration announced the scrapping of a longstanding India Italy tariff news exemption on small packages entering the US on August 29.
The so-called “reciprocal tariffs” by the US were first announced earlier in April 2025.
In an interview with Radio New Zealand on Monday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon admitted that much was still unclear in regards to the scope of US 15% tariff. “As postal organizations have found, it’s difficult to guarantee what the tariff rates will be, what the costs might look like, or how the process will actually work in practice. I’m confident that clarity will emerge, and NZ Post, alongside other postal services suspended, will continue working with the US to find solutions,” he added.
