International Mail Delivery Alerts
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to devastate lives around the globe. While some areas with significant populations of vaccinated people are opening up, many locales are experiencing a surge in the number of infections. Additionally, natural disasters are causing mail disruptions. Some countries are either halting acceptance of international shipments or voiding delivery time guarantees.
Effective May 28, 2021, and until further notice, USPS has suspended services to specific international destinations. Force majeure is unforeseeable circumstances that prevent fulfillment of a contractural agreement.
At least until restoration of timely delivery services, ClinicalPosters is restricting delivery for locations listed below. Other areas may also be affected.
3-1-2022
🇦🇺 Australia Post advises that as a result of road closures and access issues, implementation of safety measures and closure of several post offices, delivery to certain postcodes is limited in flood-affected areas.
Between September 3 and 17, it temporarily suspended some international services due to COVID-19 transportation cancellations and restrictions. This includes:
- Priority Mail International® (PMI)
- First-Class Package International Service (FCPIS)
- Commercial ePacket (CeP)
- International Priority Airmail (IPA) Packets
- International Surface Air Lift (ISAL) Packets
6-8-2021
🇧🇷 Brazil Post advises that a number of COVID-19 cases have been confirmed among operational staff at the Curitiba international mail processing center. Quarantine and other public health measures have been implemented, resulting in a reduction in the workforce. Expect delays in processing, customs clearance and delivery of all inbound letter-post items. Coronavirus cases in Brazil.
9-22-2020
🇨🇦 Canada Post is processing USPS mail with the following adjustments: Items requiring a signature, proof of age, or the collection of customs fees will continue to be delivered directly to a nearby post office for pickup by the customer. Items will be returned to the sender if they are not collected within 15 days. Force majeure remains for all international letter-post, parcel-post, and Express Mail Service (EMS) items. Service suspension to a particular country will not affect the delivery of Military Mail.
4-19-2022
🇨🇳 China Postal Service has temporarily suspended international mail acceptance of Global Express Guarantee (GXG) to China. China Post advises that to prevent further transmission of COVID-19 the processing of inbound mail is temporarily affected at Shanghai, Changchun and Yanji mail processing centers until further notice.
5-25-2021
🇫🇯 Fiji’s Post advises that it is experiencing significant disruption in daily operations because of the coronavirus pandemic. This includes collection and deliveries for all international mail categories and services. COVID-19 in Fiji.
6-14-2021
🇬🇹 Guatemala’s Post advises that services in the eastern and northeastern regions of the country, which were disrupted due to Storm Eta, are in the process of being restored. The country hopes that all services will resume as normal by the end of June. Inbound and outbound services (both domestic and international) in the rest of the country are operating as normal.
4-29-2021
🇮🇳 India Post advises that certain restrictions have been reintroduced in the country as a result of COVID-19. The post continues to accept inbound international mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items). However, due to the limited domestic transport capacity, the declared or otherwise agreed service delivery standards (including delivery times and other quality parameters) are not guaranteed. COVID-19 in India.
3-2-2021
🇮🇩 Indonesia Post advises that the force majeure situation declared in the past remains in effect, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and the state of alert declared by the Indonesian government, now the epicenter of Asia’s COVID-19 delta virus cases.
5-12–2021
🇮🇱 Israel Post advises that mailers may experience interruptions and delays in the distribution and collection of mail (letter-post, parcels and EMS items) as a result of the security situation in the south and center of the country. In addition, the health situation restrictions communicated previously and restrictions in terms of service standards and application of force majeure remain in place.
6-3–2021
🇲🇾 Malaysia Post has a reduced the number mail delivery workers due to a significant number of new infections and is therefore instituting force majeure until further notice.
Any items shipped to restricted destinations may be returned to the sender. USPS will refund postage if a package is returned due to service suspension.
4-29-2022
The Postal Service™ is temporarily suspending international mail acceptance of Global Express Guarantee (GXG®) to the following destinations. Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail. Mail delivery has resumed in about half of the DPO AE destinations.
Customers: Please refrain from mailing items addressed to the following countries, until further notice:
- Afghanistan
- Australia
- Bhutan
- Brunei
- China
- Cuba
- Laos
- Libya
- Mongolia
- New Zealand
- Papua New Guinea
- Russia
- Norfolk Island
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- South Sudan
- Syria
- Timor-Leste
- Turkmenistan
- Yemen
For a complete list of affected countries, visit the USPS service alerts. Though generally more expensive, third-party carriers like FedEx, DHL, and UPS may provide more timely delivery to some areas with additional Covid surcharges.
This non-comprehensive document will be updated periodically.
