Effective February 25, 2021, the Postal Service™ is revising the International Country Listing for Australia in Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM®) to note that the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment has imposed a temporary ban for raw forms of beans, grains, nuts, rice, and seeds. Additionally, mailable seeds, including flower or food seeds, must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate.
This revision is based on a formal request that Australia Post (the designated postal operator of Australia) made through the Universal Postal Union via International Bureau Circular 139, dated September 28, 2020, and International Postal Corporation Exceptional Event 45, dated September 30, 2020.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM)
* * * * *
Individual Country Listings
* * * * *
Australia
Country Conditions for Mailing
* * * * *
Restrictions
* * * * *
[Add an entry in alphabetical order to read as follows:]
Raw forms of beans, grains, nuts, rice, and seeds are temporarily banned by the government of Australia.
Note: Exceptions include the following: Goods that are thermally or chemically processed and preserved; fresh vegetables; oils derived from vegetables or seed; and plant-based raw materials, such as starch, sugar, and pigment. Seeds that may be imported — including flower or food seeds — must comply with importation conditions or be covered by a valid import permit (i.e., a phytosanitary certificate) before arriving in Australia. For additional information, see Australia’s Biosecurity Import Conditions system at agriculture.gov.au/import/online-services/bicon.
* * * * *
Although effective February 25, 2021, the Postal Service will incorporate this revision into the next edition of the online IMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Product Solutions, 2-25-21
