US Tariffs: What Australian eCommerce businesses need to know

The United States is one of Australia’s top export markets. In 2024, it was the fifth largest market for goods exports. Quality Australian fashion, beauty and specialty goods are popular.

Ever since the US announced new tariffs for imports into the United States and its overseas territories (including Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and the US Minor Outlying Islands), Australian eCommerce businesses have been trying to solve shipping to the US after tariff changes.

The good news? The path is now clear for sending to the US and its territories, as long as you comply with the new import rules. Whether you use MyPost Business or eParcel Contract, Australia Post is here to help.

What changes have been made to US tariffs for Australian businesses?

• Import tariffs for shipments from Australia to the USA including those valued under USD$800 apply from 29 August 2025. Parcels valued under USD$800 were previously excluded from tariffs. As a result, many Australian businesses who haven’t had to pay tariffs on goods sold to US consumers, now need to pay the tariff.
• Businesses must include accurate HS codes, declared values and country of origin on all shipments to avoid returns or delays.
• After temporarily pausing postal deliveries to the USA to update compliance systems, Australia Post, together with Zonos® can now automatically handle tariff and duty collection via a free Zonos® Verified Account.

Understanding tariff terms

There are some key terms you’ll hear when discussing tariffs and selling internationally. Here’s a brief explainer:

• Tariff
  A tariff is a government tax on imported goods. It's usually calculated as a percentage of value of the goods. It’s essential to take tariffs into account when creating your growth strategy as tariffs impact your margins and pricing. The US is currently (as at October 2025) imposing a 10 per cent ‘reciprocal’ tariff on Australian exports to the US, with some products subject to other sectoral tariffs (refer to Latest on US tariffs). US goods continue to enjoy tariff-free access to Australia.
• Rules of Origin (ROO)
  The Australia–United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA) outlines how where a product is made is determined. Chapter Five of AUSFTA covers Rules of Origin. If you’re unsure of the origin of your products, it’s a good idea to consult an expert early.
• Landed Cost
  Selling overseas incurs additional costs, from freight to tariffs, insurance and taxes. When calculating landed cost to the US, you take these extra costs into consideration in addition to the cost of the product to accurately calculate your landed cost. This can be incorporated into your forecasting and strategy, helping avoid surprise costs.
• Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA)
  The AUSFTA is the trade agreement between Australia and the United States which was established in January 2005.
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection
  U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the U.S. Government agency responsible for enforcing U.S. tariff laws at the border, including collecting tariffs, verifying origin and classification of products and ensuring compliance with agreements including AUSFTA.

What is the Australia Post Zonos® tariff solution?

To make meeting your tariff and declaration requirements seamless, Australia Post has partnered with Zonos®, a cross-border sales solution for managing tariffs, calculating duties and taxes. Zonos® is a CBP Approved Qualified Party.

With a free Zonos® Verified Account, linked directly to your Australia Post account you can:

• calculate tariffs
• pre-pay duties and taxes to help accelerate border clearance
• streamline processes to help avoid returns or extra fees for unverified parcels.

Once you’ve joined Zonos® and are verified, you can send as usual. What’s more, when you send to the US with Australia Post, you get access to fewer tariffs, our competitive international sending rates and a free Zonos® dashboard for instant US tariff calculations.

Learn more about the solution.

Shipping to U.S. after tariff changes

It’s always been important to get the details right when sending parcels overseas. With the tariff change in the U.S., accurate documentation is even more essential.

• Fashion and Accessories
  If you’re sending fashion and accessories, double-check HS codes and origin. Imported trims or fabrics can affect tariff eligibility. Keep descriptions accurate, including the value as customs value checks are now more common.
• Beauty, Health and Wellness
  Clearly and accurately declare beauty, health and wellness product ingredients and packaging. If relevant, factor in tariffs on imported ingredients and packaging that may increase landed costs.
• Electronics and Smart Tech
  As some electronics components are exempt from tariffs whilst others aren’t, it’s important to ensure your classification is accurate and reflects the assembled product, not individual parts.

How to use the Australia Post Zonos® tariff solution

Step 1. Set up a free Zonos® Verified Account

The first thing you need to do is set up a free Zonos® Verified Account. Through this account, which is automatically linked to your Australia Post account, Zonos® will collect and remit the required tariffs each time you book a parcel for sending.

To help you plan for the new costs, there’s a calculator in your Zonos® dashboard for making instant tariff calculations.

Step 2. Meet mandatory declaration requirements

As well as paying the tariff, you also need to meet the mandatory declaration requirements for all items you send. Ensure you include:

• Country of origin (COO): This refers to the country of manufacture.
• Value of goods: This must be declared accurately for each item in your parcel.
• Harmonised system (HS) tariff code: Ensure that the correct HS tariff number/s is used. Use our auto-lookup or check the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website to enter manually.

If the above requirements aren’t met, items will be returned.

Step 3. Ship items the way you used to with Australia Post

Once steps 1 and 2 are taken care of, you can ship with Australia Post following your usual processes.

Why send with Australia Post to the US?

By partnering with Zonos® for sending parcels to the US, we’re making it easier for you to comply with the new US tariff import rules.

What’s more, you benefit from:

• Postal import (rather than Commercial Freight) conditions, which can result in a smaller set of tariffs and fewer surcharges
• Competitive international sending rates
• A free Zonos® dashboard to make instant US tariff calculations.

Export markets for Australian businesses

With a relatively small market ourselves, Australian businesses often see significant growth when expanding overseas. Researching which regions have demand for Australian products, and favourable tariff conditions can make a significant impact on your bottom line.

Explore the Australia Post International Selling Playbook (PDF 3.28MB) to learn more about selling in:

• South-East Asia where there is increasing demand from a growing middle class and improving tariff alignment.
• Canada, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Mexico and Vietnam which are parties to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), that has favourable terms for Australian products.
• United Arab Emirates where the Australia-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) aims to provide a competitive advantage to Australian businesses.

Every market has unique requirements and tariffs can vary from time to time, so it’s worthwhile regularly reviewing your strategy to ensure you’re giving your business the best chance of profitable growth and diversifying across markets to minimise the impact of tariff changes.