USPS suspending mail service to New Zealand

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RickD

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#289831 2-Oct-2021 08:20

Saw this mentioned on Twitter. No timeline for the suspension given that I can find.

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.

https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm

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BDFL - Memuneh
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#2787970 2-Oct-2021 09:19

The text in the notice says the reason is "Suspension Due to Unavailability of Transportation".

PolicyGuy

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#2788110 2-Oct-2021 12:05

There's an article on Stuff (here: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/126562992/covid19-usps-stops-nz-mail-service-due-to-unavailability-of-transportation)

The United States Postal Service has suspended its mail service to New Zealand, due to “unavailability of transportation”.
In an update on its website on Friday (US time), New Zealand had been included in the company's list of 22 countries that were affected, including Australia, Afghanistan, Syria and Samoa.

The 22 counties are: Afghanistan; Australia; Brunei; Bhutan; Cuba; Guadeloupe; French Guiana; Laos; Libya; Martinique; Mayotte; Mongolia; New Zealand; Reunion (Bourbon); Saint Pierre and Miquelon (Miquelon) ; Samoa; South Sudan; Syria; Tajikistan; Timor-Leste; Turkmenistan; and Yemen
See here: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm

lchiu7

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#2788269 2-Oct-2021 14:19

Looking at that list it seems pretty much third world countries apart from Australia and New Zealand's :-). Clearly it must be due to our country's very strict Covid-19 controls.

I wonder what the impact will be on the reshippers like Youshop or Shipitto?

New Zealand Post never say which carrier they use to send packages to New Zealand via Youshop but Shipitto offer a bunch of options including DHL, USPS and something called airmail economy. I don't know what service provider they are using for airmail economy. That could be a freight consolidation service.

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heavenlywild

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#2788271 2-Oct-2021 14:25

"Hermit kingdom" is coming into effect.

Australia will be removed from the list I suspect next month when their borders open.

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chevrolux

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#2788281 2-Oct-2021 15:00

Is this any real loss? In my experience, USPS has always been incredibly slow. I'd rather just pay for DHL to get it here.

freitasm

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#2788323 2-Oct-2021 16:57

@heavenlywild: "Hermit kingdom" is coming into effect.

Australia will be removed from the list I suspect next month when their borders open.

Why spout the crap from someone who wanted to push an agenda?

Why not mention that this applies to another 21 countries and it may not be a New Zealand problem but a worldwide logistics problem?

RickD

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#2788326 2-Oct-2021 17:11

chevrolux: Is this any real loss? In my experience, USPS has always been incredibly slow. I'd rather just pay for DHL to get it here.

For lower value items, yes. I was about to ship a box to family in NZ, ~$30 USD using USPS first class mail and $150 is the estimate I got from the DHL site. UPS is also around $150 and estimating 4 weeks delivery time.

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RickD

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#2788328 2-Oct-2021 17:28

freitasm:
@heavenlywild: "Hermit kingdom" is coming into effect.

Australia will be removed from the list I suspect next month when their borders open.

Why spout the crap from someone who wanted to push an agenda?

Why not mention that this applies to another 21 countries and it may not be a New Zealand problem but a worldwide logistics problem?

He's not wrong is he? I thought the issue is a lack of space on commercial flights into NZ which is a direct result of the border being closed.

heavenlywild

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#2788331 2-Oct-2021 17:41

Look at those countries we are grouped with. It's telling. It's embarrassing.

RickD I'm not wrong indeed.

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neb

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#2788337 2-Oct-2021 17:58

lchiu7: Looking at that list it seems pretty much third world countries apart from Australia and New Zealand's :-). Clearly it must be due to our country's very strict Covid-19 controls.

I wonder what the impact will be on the reshippers like Youshop or Shipitto?

Probably nothing since they can use non-USPS services. Amazon US still gets stuff here in under a week.

While Covid hasn't helped, I think this is more a case of a decades-long move by successive US governments to gut the US Post Office. They're required to work under the most ridiculous, unworkable regulations and conditions that make it impossible to operate effectively as a business. It's surprising they're still operating at all, they make a multibillion dollar loss each year and rely on a combination of the backing of the USG to allow them to sink ever deeper into debt and Congress to keep bailing them out whenever it gets really bad.

KiwiSurfer

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#2788338 2-Oct-2021 17:58

chevrolux: Is this any real loss? In my experience, USPS has always been incredibly slow. I'd rather just pay for DHL to get it here.

I've had a DHL parcel take a tiki tour DHL > USPS > NZ Post.

With DHL stickers on the bottom, USPS stickers in the middle and NZ Post stickers on top.

Even DHL's own tracker basically said something along the lines of we've passed your parcel over to another carrier -- here's your new [USPS] tracking code, go over there and track it there.

YMMV...

neb

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#2788340 2-Oct-2021 18:03

RickD:
He's not wrong is he? I thought the issue is a lack of space on commercial flights into NZ which is a direct result of the border being closed.

And yet somehow this doesn't seem to impact Yu-Shiang Whole Fish and Shipping Expediters from Alley #4, Duang, Shenzhen, only the world's largest postal service.

freitasm

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#2788350 2-Oct-2021 18:22

RickD:

freitasm:
@heavenlywild: "Hermit kingdom" is coming into effect.

Australia will be removed from the list I suspect next month when their borders open.

Why spout the crap from someone who wanted to push an agenda?

Why not mention that this applies to another 21 countries and it may not be a New Zealand problem but a worldwide logistics problem?

He's not wrong is he? I thought the issue is a lack of space on commercial flights into NZ which is a direct result of the border being closed.

One thing is the lack of space in cargo due to logistics. Another thing is a "Hermit Kingdom" which by definition would deny entry to any goods by policy. These are very different things.

If people can't see the difference between those two, then it's definitely a(n unfounded) political statement.

KiwiSurfer

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#2788360 2-Oct-2021 18:36

I agree. One only needs to look at the fact other postal carriers are having no trouble delivering to NZ. The cynic in me suspects this is simply USPS working out it is cheaper to hold packages in their warehouses until prices for transport falls back to lower levels and then deliver all the parcels on cheaper transport later... USPS held a package of mine at LAX for several months last year despite near daily (if not more) cargo flights AKL-LAX-AKL throughout that entire period which they could have quite easily put containers on.

The news tonight suggests NZ Post is looking at putting on special flights to collect stuff from the US... I assume NZ Post will have to do that at their own cost, as USPS is unlikely to reimburse them for the cost of doing that. This makes it clear it's not COVID, border restrictions, etc. If NZ Post can make arrangements to organise special flights flights to carry packages, then surely so can USPS. I imagine the likes of American Airlines, United, Delta or even Air NZ would jump at the chance to offer USPS charter cargo flight LAX-AKL-LAX to make some money and keep their pilot's qualifications current etc. USPS simply doesn't want for reasons wholly unrelated to borders, COVID, etc -- and all to do with money and government restrictions etc.

neb

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#2788369 2-Oct-2021 18:45

KiwiSurfer:
The cynic in me suspects this is simply USPS working out it is cheaper to hold packages in their warehouses until prices for transport falls back to lower levels and then deliver all the parcels on cheaper transport later...

Yup:

DeJoy’s USPS slowdown plan will delay the mail

It's hitting all mail service in the US, not just service to NZ.

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