New Mailing Cost To USA

This week I was informed by my post office that an extra terrorist tax on mail from Australia to the USA of $9 on parcels with a weight of 1lb or 454gms and over.

Has anybody else from any other countries heard about this new mailing tax to the USA?
Who from the USA is going to pay this extra tax for 1lb of kiloware?

What will they do to us next! Expensive stamping KGV.

From the Auspost website...

Articles over 500g and all ECI and EPI services will be subject to an additional $9 security surcharge and may face transit delays of up to 48 hours.

What a rip off!

Thanks for bringing this too my attention, I was just about to send a parcel to the U.S., I might have to split it into two now.

Steve

Is this because of the fear of mail bombs? What does the $9 security surcharge pay for in terms of examination? Is it going to be scanned or x-rayed or does it pays for someone to open every package to search inside? Aside from large packages of stamps, this will cripple the Australian sellers on ebay or other small businesses that export anything heavy outside of Australia. As always, the more security you get, the less freedom you have.

Absolutely ludicrous. The average bomb would weigh less than that!

Split your deliveries if you have to, this surcharge is a tax rip-off

As an aside, I've been buying a bit from the US (thanks to the dollar), and I'm always amazed (sorry guys), with the number of sellers that think the $13.95 USPS International Flat Rate is the ONLY way to post. I've converted a few......so many more to educate

On Canada Post's small packet rates it seems to have increased by about $1 from last summer.

The tracked parcel has gone up a bit though. I haven't been keeping an eye on it but it was not this high before. They have started last year selling the new improved service for this type of parcel shipment with increased pricing of course. No mention of terrorist fees although those may be hidden away in the price.

One tends to think that the receiving country could pay for it's own customs fees of it wished to be more secure.

Maybe Australia Post is upgrading or buying some new scanning equipment that was unplanned for up to recently so to keep within international standards the price has to be paid somewhere by someone.?

Does it cost more to send to Canada too?

$9! Sheesh. A 1LB package doesn't cost that much to mail. Let's call it the "Paranoia Tax".

Hi Puzzler.
I asked about Canada and this new tax.
Their answer was it is only mail to the USA.

The question they could not answer was.
If the first distribution center outside Australia for Canada mail is the USA what happens then?

The many have to suffer for the extreme case..its not right,they keep taking peoples pleasures away !

For $9 I will row over and get it myself.

No changes in prices from here.
Would be interested to know if it's only for Aussies.