On Oct 15 the United States Postal Service announced that it is temporarily suspending international mail acceptance for certain destinations due to impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic and other unrelated service disruptions. Listed below are the countries that currently have mail suspensions.
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Suspension
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Afghanistan
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French Guiana
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New Zealand**
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Syria
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Australia *
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Guadeloupe
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Papua New Guinea
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Tajikistan
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Bhutan
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Laos
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Reunion (Bourbon)
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Timor-Leste
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Brunei
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Liberia
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Saint Pierre and Miquelon (Miquelon)
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Turkmenistan
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Central African Republic
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Libya
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Samoa
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Yemen
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Chad
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Mayotte
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Sierra Leone
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Cuba
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Mongolia
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South Sudan
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Customers: please refrain from mailing items addressed to the countries listed here, until further notice.
These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.
*Australia’s service disruption affects Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), Commercial ePacket (CeP), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®) packets, International Priority Airmail® (IPA®) M-Bags, International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®) packets, International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®) M-Bags, and Airmail M-Bags.
**New Zealand’s service disruption affects Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), Commercial ePacket (CeP), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®) packets, International Priority Airmail® (IPA®) M-Bags, International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®) packets, International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®) M-Bags, and Airmail M-Bags.
Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.
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For already deposited items, other than GXG:
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Postal Service employees endorse them “Mail Service Suspended — Return to Sender” and then place them in the mail stream for return.
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For any returned item bearing
a customs form:
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The Postal Service will, upon request, refund postage and fees on mail returned due to the suspension of service.
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For all other returned items not bearing a customs declarations form:
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Either:
- The Postal Service will, upon request, refund postage and fees on mail returned due to the suspension of service, or
- The sender may remail them with the existing postage once service has been restored. When remailing under this option, customers must cross out the markings “Mail Service Suspended — Return to Sender.”
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