USPS will suspend delivery of mail and packages to Canada effective Friday, November 29, 2024. The Postal Service said the temporary suspension was “due to the foreign postal operator indicating that they are unable to process or deliver international mail or services because of the ongoing national strike by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.”
Online sellers will have to look for alternative carriers to fulfill orders during what is peak holiday shipping season. Stamps.com advised sellers in an incident report on Wednesday: “In order to continue shipping to Canada, please use an alternate carrier such as GlobalPost, UPS, or DHL Express.”
The USPS notice on Wednesday advised: “Customers are asked to refrain from mailing items addressed to the following country, until further notice: Canada.” It said the service disruption affects Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS), International Priority Airmail® (IPA), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL), Commercial ePacket® (CeP), and M-Bag® items.
The disruption has been impacting mail delivery for some time, with the USPS having notified customers on the 25th that all inbound mail to Canada was still being accepted at the airports but there was no movement of mail in Canada, explaining: “International items received as of November 15 are being held in secure containers and have not been processed.”
USPS said it was closely monitoring the situation and would continue to update customers until the situation returns to normal. It also advised customers they could visit canadapost.ca/negotiations for updates on postal service disruptions in Canada.
