Shipping to the US under the new tariff regime

Summary

From 9 April 2025 the United States has imposed a baseline 10% tariff on many goods imported from Australia.

From 29 August 2025 the de minimis exemption (previously allowing shipments valued under $800 USD to enter duty-free) was removed.

As a result, Australian e-commerce businesses shipping to the U.S. must adjust both their pricing/checkout and shipping-documentation processes.

This article explains how Spiffy Stores merchants can (1) adjust their checkout rules to apply a surcharge (to cover tariff costs) and (2) prepare shipments via Australia Post in compliance with the new tariff and customs-requirements.

1. Adjusting your checkout in Spiffy Stores

Using Spiffy Stores' Checkout Rules, you can add a surcharge for customers shipping to the U.S. to cover the approximate 10% tariff (plus any handling/disclosure costs).

Example setup

Suppose you sell a product for $100 AUD, and you estimate the US tariff will be ~10% (AUD $10). You want to pass that cost to the customer as a surcharge.

1. In your Spiffy Stores admin go to Preferences → Checkout rules.
2. Click Add a Checkout Rule.
3. For the name, enter something like "US Tariff surcharge 10%".
4. Choose the action Add Checkout Surcharge and add an amount of 10%.
5. Under "Customers shipping to a specific country", select United States. Remember, you must already have configured your "Regions & Taxes" to include the United States as a shipping destination.
6. Save the rule.
7. Next, go to Preferences → Shipping & handling, edit the shipping rate(s) you offer for US customers.
8. Set the shipping cost to include any additional costs that may be needed to cover the additional administration. For example if your standard international shipping to US is $20 AUD, you might set $20 + $10 = $30 AUD, labelled in the description to show that includes US tariff surcharge.
9. Test the checkout by selecting a US shipping address and verifying that the costs include the surcharge.

Important notes

• The 10% tariff is a baseline; some goods may be subject to higher tariff rates (see section 3).
• Make sure you clearly explain to your US customers that the shipping cost includes a surcharge to cover import duty/tariff payable by you. This builds clarity and avoids surprises.
• Review regularly: if your landed-costs or tariff regime changes, adjust the surcharge accordingly.

2. Shipping via Australia Post to the US

According to Australia Post's guidance, when shipping to the US (including overseas territories) you must ensure your parcels comply with the new rules.

Key compliance requirements

• Every shipment must include:
  • Country of Origin (COO) — i.e., where the goods were manufactured.
  • Value of goods (accurate declared value for each item).
  • Harmonised System (HS) tariff code for each item — a 6-digit, 8-digit or 10-digit HS code.
• All duties and tariffs must be collected and paid (or linked via a verified third-party) before the goods enter the U.S. postal/courier system.
• If you ship via Australia Post and use the partnered solution Zonos (Verified Account), you can calculate duties, pre-pay them, and link your Australia Post account. Australia Post describes this as "free Zonos dashboard for instant US tariff calculations".

Practical workflow for you (Spiffy Stores merchant)

1. Ensure your goods have accurate origins, values and HS codes. Audit your product catalogue. Support for HS codes is planned.
2. Sign up with Zonos via Australia Post (if you intend to use Australia Post international parcel services to the US).
3. When fulfilling U.S. orders:
   • Create the parcel via Australia Post as usual (MyPost Business / eParcel).
   • In the customs declaration, include the COO, HS code and correct value.
   • Ensure duties/tariffs are collected via Zonos before dispatch.
4. Choose appropriate Australia Post international service (International Business Parcels / International Standard / etc.) for US destination.
5. Communicate to the US customer the shipping includes the tariff surcharge (as covered in Section 1) so they are not surprised by extra charges.
6. Keep documentation: customs manifest, Zonos duty payments, tracking. This may be required for audit or to avoid returns.

Why use Australia Post?

Australia Post points out benefits of using their partnered solution:

• Postal (rather than full commercial freight) conditions can result in fewer surcharges.
• Competitive international sending rates.
• Access to the Zonos dashboard which simplifies duty calculation.

3. Tariff rates and product-category notes

• The baseline tariff for many Australian-origin goods into the U.S. is 10%.
• Some categories face higher tariffs. For example: steel and aluminium derived products may attract a 50% tariff, motor vehicles 25% etc.
• If your products contain imported components (not wholly made in Australia) the COO may be different, and higher tariff may apply. Hence accurate classification is critical.
• Because of this variation, you may wish to account for "up to 10%" as a surcharge baseline, but be ready to adjust if your product falls into a higher-tariff category.

4. Checklist for Spiffy Stores merchants

• [ ] Review your product catalogue and assign correct HS codes and COO for all items you export to the US.
• [ ] Decide your surcharge strategy (via shipping rate surcharge or product surcharge) in Spiffy Stores.
• [ ] Create and test the checkout rule in Preferences → Checkout rules.
• [ ] Update your shipping & handling rates / shipping tags appropriately.
• [ ] Register with Zonos via Australia Post and link to your account.
• [ ] Update internal fulfilment workflows to include accurate customs declaration information every time you ship to US.
• [ ] Update your shipping policies / FAQs in your store to advise US customers that shipping includes a 10% tariff surcharge and that full customs documentation is provided.
• [ ] Monitor for any changes in US tariff regime (Australia-US Free Trade Agreement updates, new product-specific tariffs) regularly.

5. Support & further reading

• Checkout Rules — Spiffy Stores Knowledge Base.
• US Tariffs: What Australian eCommerce Businesses Need to Know (Australia Post)
• Latest on US tariffs (Australian Government / DFAT)

Important disclaimer

This article is provided for guidance only. It does not constitute legal, tax or customs advice. You should always verify HS codes, country-of-origin rules and duty/tariff rates for your specific products with a qualified adviser or the relevant authorities. US import rules may change and your business bears the risk of compliance.