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International Shipment - NZ Post Services

  • Updated

If you're sending parcels or freight internationally, this article outlines the available NZ Post services, delivery timeframes, customs requirements, and best practices to help ensure a smooth delivery process.

International Services

  • Economy (Less than 2kg) –  A Semi-Tracked service for items up to 2kg.  This will include a pickup scan, a processing scan/departure scan from NZ, and, for most major destinations, an arrival in country scan. From here, there will be no further scans past the package's arrival in the destination country (i.e., no Customs Clearance, no in-transit scans in the destination country, no delivery events).
  • Economy Tracked (Less than 2kg) – A fully tracked service for items up to 2kg. Items are tracked end-to-end from pickup in NZ, processing and dispatch, and receive tracking events all the way through to delivery in the destination country.
  • Economy Plus (Greater than 2kg) – A fully tracked service for items greater than 2kg. (or under 2kg but exceeding the maximum value or dimensions for the above services).  Items are tracked to most destinations (some destinations do not offer full tracking).
  • International Courier – A fully tracked service for items up to 30kg (with other sizing restrictions). Items are tracked to most destinations (some destinations do not offer full tracking).
  • Courier Select AU or US - A fully tracked service for items up to 22kg (with other sizing restrictions). 

For a complete overview of NZ Post’s international services, please refer to the guide below:

NZ Post International Shipping Guide

US Services & Custom Charges

New Zealand Manufacturers to the United States (Effective 29 August 2025)

  • All shipments to the United States have tariff rates determined by the manufacturing country of the product. Products manufactured in New Zealand are subject to a 15% import tariff (duty).

  • All US services operate on a Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) basis only:

    • Your receiver does not pay duties or taxes.

    • NZ Post pays these charges upfront to US Customs.

    • Once we receive the charge from NZ Post, we bill these charges on a separate invoice. These invoices will have a 7 day due date as per all of our duties and taxes invoice.

  • Other charges are applied based on the service selection listed below.

Economy & Economy Tracked Service

  • Delivery Target of 3 - 13 working days.

  • A 5% disbursement fee is charged on the tariff amount.

  • A $5 service fee is applied to the shipment.

Courier Select_US Service

  • Delivery Target of 4 - 9 working days, Hawaii & Alaska: 5 - 12 working days.

  • A 5% disbursement fee is charged on the tariff amount.

Here's how to estimate your import fees

  1. Tariff (duty) = 15% (NZ Manafactured Product) x Declared Product Value (cost)
  2. Disbursement fee = 5% (Courier Select_US) x Tariff (duty)
  3. Any US inspection/clearance charges are additional and passed through at cost.

Estimated import cost = Tariff + Disbursement Fee + Inspection/Clearance Charges if applicable

Examples using Courier Select_US

  • If your goods are valued at NZD$50 (shipping USD $30):
    Duty = $7.50, Disbursement = $0.38 → Total = $7.88

  • If your goods are valued NZD$200 (shipping USD $40):
    Duty = $30.00, Disbursement = $1.50 → Total = $31.50

  • If your goods are valued at NZD$1,000 (shipping USD $200):
    Duty = $150.00, Disbursement = $7.5 → Total = $157.50

Note: Any goods declared in a foreign currency will be subject to a currency exchange rate fee.

Important to note

  • Duties are only applied to the goods’ declared value, not the shipping.

  • Import duties and taxes vary by country. Please consult the destination country’s customs website for accurate tariff information.

  • Please ensure all customs declarations are accurate and complete to avoid delays.

  • If parcels are undeliverable or refused, they may be:

    • Returned to sender (with return postage charged from some countries)

    • Destroyed by customs (in some countries)

  • Not all international services include additional cover for loss/damage. Click here for more information.

Disclaimer: The above information is provided as a guide only. Duty and fee requirements are set by the destination customs and are subject to change without notice. While we do our best to keep this accurate, it should not be considered a 100% exact calculation in all cases.