Australia Shipping Restrictions Explained

Have you recently tried to ship a parcel to Australia, or are you planning to? There are a couple of things to learn about the changes in Australia's shipping policies.

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Australia has regulated the movement of parcels by implementing shipping restrictions and prohibitions to control the spread of the virus.

However, these Australian shipping restrictions do not mean that you cannot send packages to Australia. You only have to ensure that all shipments to Australia follow the covid shipping restrictions.

If you are sending valuable packages to Australia, keep reading to learn about Australia's covid shipping restrictions and how you can plan accordingly for the safe delivery of your shipment.

The Basics of Australia Shipping Restrictions Covid

The spread of Covid-19 impacted the shipping regulations and activities in Australia. Parcels arrive on time, but some delays may be unavoidable due to the high number of Covid-19 cases. As a country, Australia is committed to keeping the number of Covid-19 cases under control, and this has, to a large extent, affected the shipping industry.

Measures put in place contribute to delivery delays. They include:

• Some workers meant to handle delivery are in self-isolation
• Temporary closures of mail and processing facilities
• Disruptions at covid-19-related airlines, meaning there are few available flights for mail transportation

However, to alleviate the inconveniences caused by Covid-19 restrictions, Australia Post has doubled its efforts to make the shipping faster and more available. See what they are doing to help you meet up with parcel demands:

• Chartered extras planes, added more vehicles, and opened both permanent and temporary facilities to increase capacity
• Recruited over 5000 employees to meet up with orders while extending delivery dates to include weekends
• Employed the use of technology in major facilities

Australia Shipping Restrictions & Prohibited Items

To meet parcel demands and delivery, Australia has put stringent shipping restrictions in place. They have outlined a detailed global list of restricted and prohibited items irrespective of the parcel's destination to inform shippers ahead of time.

Australia Import Prohibitions

• All Meat Products
• All Wood Products
• Paintball Guns and Paintball Ammunition
• Health Supplements containing Hoodia, Yohimbe, and DHEA

The following items are prohibited when included in gift hampers sent to Australia:

• Pine cones
• Wooden ornaments manufactured from plant material
• Fresh fruit
• Item of meat origin or containing meat (all types, e.g., beef jerky, etc.)
• Items containing egg or dairy
• Items of plant origin (e.g., decorations made from vine material, wreaths, flowers, potpourri, etc.)
• Unpopped popcorn
• Nuts

Australia Import Restrictions

• Knives and daggers
• Laser pointers
• Pencils and paintbrushes, Haz
• Pornography and other objectionable material
• Woolpacks
• Ceramic ware, glazed
• Chewing tobacco and oral snuff
• Cosmetics, Haz
• Dog collars, protrusion
• Erasers, novelty
• Fly swatters/mosquito bats, electronic
• Goods bearing an image of the Australian national flag and coat of arms
• Goods bearing an image of the Australian state or territory flags and coat of arms
• Incandescent lamps
• Goods that are subject to import controls include, but are not limited to, the following: Goods subject to censorship controls; goods, as identified by the United Nations, which are subject to trade restrictions; and goods that are regulated by the Consumer Affairs Division of the Department of Treasury.

Related post: The Cheapest Way to Ship to Australia

How to Pack Items for Australia Shipping Restrictions

Amid the Australian shipping restrictions and Covid-19 cases, you can still send items from wherever you are in the world to Australia. Regardless, you have to ensure that you adopt the best practices to have a seamless experience. Also, remember that every item shipped should adhere to Australia's restricted and prohibited policy.

Choose the right packaging materials

In the event of a possible delay due to Australia's shipping restrictions, shippers should ensure that their items are secured in airtight and tamper-proof packaging.

The postage restrictions in Australia have left a lot of packages to be sorted and if you send items during this period, use proper packaging. Use packing peanuts, newspapers, tissues, bubble wraps, and other packaging materials to keep items safe and secure.

Avoid putting rigid and sharp items in envelopes, regardless of their size. They can easily be damaged by machines or hurt staff. Shippers should pack all items appropriately in suitable packages. It is also crucial to note that Australia post will not be accepting fragile items due to the nature of the postal system.

Pack items carefully

If you use the right packaging materials but do not pack your items carefully into the boxes, you risk your items getting damaged. To avoid items moving inside the box, use the correct box size.

A box that perfectly fits your package will hold your package in place and prevent it from moving in the box. For a more compact shipment, place items carefully inside the box, filling them with sufficient packaging materials. Your package will withstand any rush to get to the recipient in one piece.

Don't forget any special shipping documents

Standard shipping documents include the bill of lading, invoices, and other necessary documents for customs and clearance. Because of the shipping restrictions in Australia, shippers should include all essential and relevant shipping documents needed to make their shipping successful.

Place any special shipping labels

Once you have paid for the shipping service, you will be able to print your shipping label within 24 hours. Shipping labels help the parcel reach its destinations faster and make the shipping company's job more efficient.

Also, ensure that the details on your shipping label are accurate to help the workers process your package duly. If the details on your shipping label are incorrect, you can request a full refund and generate a new one.

The Cheapest & Easiest Way to Ship to Australia with Easyship

Australia's shipping restrictions caused by Covid-19 are meant to be temporary, hoping that the authorities will lift them as soon as possible. The staff of the postal services is also working behind the clock to reduce delays. In effect, there are other shipping prohibitions that shippers should take note of before proceeding to send parcels.

No matter the disruption, Easyship can alleviate your shipping burden by providing you access to optimized shipping services. Easyship allows you to automate and oversee your workflow with handy shipping guides. You also get access to pre-filled customs forms that not only save you time but make the shipping process relatively simple.

Use Easyship features to get the optimum shipping experience even with Australia's shipping restrictions, such as the following:

• Easyship Shipping Rates Calculator: Access high-volume discounts from major couriers. Plus, get instant access to delivery lead times from premium shipping couriers for faster shipping
• Global Fulfillment: Easyship has warehouse partners on four continents so that you can reach your customers all across the world. Plus, Easyship helps scale up fulfillment capabilities without increasing overhead costs
• Duties & Tax Visibility: Easyship works out all duties and taxes for your international shipments so you can easily handle your international orders. Calculate your duties for overseas shipments here

Ready to ship? Sign up for a FREE Easyship account and create your optimized shipping strategy and learn how to ship with Australia shipping restrictions

Australia Shipping Restrictions Covid-19 FAQ

Does Amazon ship to Australia in 2022?

Amazon does not ship all items to Australia. Instead, you can use the services of a freight forwarding company to ship items bought on Amazon to wherever you are in Australia.

Are couriers allowed from India to Australia?

Asides from restricted items, couriers are allowed to ship all types of items from India to Australia.

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