Australia Post has announced important changes affecting parcels sent to the United States and European Union.
The changes start in October and November 2026 and mainly affect the customs information merchants need to provide when sending international orders. Australia Post says the changes are being introduced by overseas authorities, but Australian merchants and Australia Post will still need to comply with them.
For most merchants, the practical takeaway is simple: international shipments will require more accurate product information than before.
Key dates
| Date | What changes |
|---|---|
| 22 October 2026 | New US customs requirements begin for certain products |
| 1 November 2026 | New EU product information requirements begin |
| 1 November 2026 | A new €2 EU handling fee is expected to begin |
Australia Post is also updating its systems ahead of these dates to support the new rules.
Changes for shipments to the United States
From 22 October 2026, the United States will introduce a new customs process called Entry Type 13 for certain types of goods.
This does not mean every parcel going to the US will be affected.
The new requirements mainly apply to products that are subject to extra US government rules or tariffs. Australia Post gives examples including:
- FDA-regulated products
- children’s and infant products
- some products covered by consumer safety rules
- certain goods subject to additional tariffs or special customs treatment
For affected products, merchants may need to provide additional information such as:
- product identifiers
- manufacturer information
- compliance certificates
If you sell ordinary products that are not heavily regulated, you may see little or no change. But if you sell food, health products, children’s products, or other regulated goods, it is worth reviewing the new requirements before the October deadline.
Australia Post is using Zonos for some US compliance information
Australia Post says merchants can use a Zonos Verified Account to provide product and compliance information when required.
Information can be entered manually, uploaded in bulk, or supplied through supported integrations.
This is mainly relevant for merchants selling products that fall under the new US requirements.
Changes for shipments to the European Union
The EU changes are likely to affect a broader group of merchants.
From 1 November 2026, business customers sending parcels to EU countries will need to include a product identifier for the items being shipped. Australia Post specifically refers to the product SKU as part of this requirement.
In WooCommerce terms, this means merchants should make sure their physical products have proper SKUs.
For example:
Product: Blue Ceramic Mug
SKU: MUG-BLUE-01
If you currently leave the SKU field empty for many products, this is something worth cleaning up before November.
Australia Post says letters and documents are exempt from the new requirement.
A new €2 EU handling fee is also expected
Australia Post also says the EU has announced a new €2 handling fee, expected to take effect from 1 November 2026.
The important part for merchants is that the fee is expected to apply:
per item, not per parcel.
So an order containing several items may attract a higher total handling cost than a single-item order.
Australia Post says the charge will depend partly on information such as:
- the product’s country of origin
- the product’s HS code
That makes accurate product data increasingly important for international shipping.
What merchants should do now
You do not need to overhaul your store, but there are a few sensible checks to make before the new rules begin.
- Make sure products have clear SKUs, especially if you sell to EU customers.
- Review the country of origin for products you ship internationally.
- Check that your products have the correct HS codes where required.
- If you sell regulated goods to the US, check whether the new US requirements apply to your products.
- Keep your Australia Post shipping plugin up to date as the new rules come into effect.
These changes are another reason to keep customs information accurate at the product level rather than trying to fill it in manually each time an order is shipped.
What happens if information is missing?
Australia Post warns that parcels with missing or incorrect customs information may face:
- customs delays
- requests for additional information
- return to sender
For merchants, that can mean slower deliveries, unhappy customers, and additional shipping costs.
Preparing your product information now can help reduce those problems later.
What WPRuby users need to know
If you use the Australia Post WooCommerce Extension PRO, we are reviewing these changes and will update the plugin where necessary.
Our focus is to make the new requirements as simple as possible for WooCommerce merchants, especially around:
- product SKUs
- customs information
- international shipment validation
We will also continue updating this article as Australia Post releases more information.
Summary
The two biggest changes are:
For the US:
From 22 October 2026, certain regulated products may require additional customs and compliance information.
For the EU:
From 1 November 2026, product identifiers such as SKUs become more important for business shipments, and a new €2 per-item handling fee is expected.
The best thing merchants can do now is review their product data and make sure international shipping information is complete and accurate.