Sea mail entering Australia from overseas was temporarily suspended from 1 October 2022. Australia Post continued to accept mail that had been sent to Australia by air during the suspension, and there was no impact to outbound items, whether sent by sea or by air.

Australia Post’s Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Paul Graham said: “We are pleased to once again accept inbound international sea mail.  We know that the temporary suspension inconvenienced some of our overseas and local customers and have worked tirelessly to restart the service.”

“We are confident that our collaborative efforts between Australia Post, our border agencies and international partners will reduce the amount of prohibited items coming into Australia. Our highest priority is the safety and wellbeing of our people, as well as supporting government agencies in their crucial roles to protect our borders.”

The Australian Border Force (ABF) and Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) continue to be ready to screen and process international mail. Keeping the Australian community and environment safe from harm while processing mail as quickly as possible continues to be a priority.

Australia Post and the relevant border agencies will continue to closely monitor the volume of prohibited items coming into Australia and will take all steps necessary to ensure our border integrity remains intact.