The Cheapest Ways to Ship from the USA to Australia for E-commerce Business in 2025

Shipping to Australia — how much does it cost and what is the best way to ship from US to Australia? USPS is the cheapest way to ship to Australia. The estimated delivery time of express shipping to Australia is around 3-5 days. However, USPS hands over all of its packages to Australia Post as soon as it hits the Australian borders. Thus, e-commerce businesses will need two tracking numbers to provide their customers with. Other major carriers that ship to Australia are UPS, FedEx, and DHL. These carriers do not delegate their shipments to Australia Post.

The delivery times can be anywhere from 2-10 days depending on the type of shipping. Australia has strict customs that can refuse entry if the product does not comply with the Australian Border Force. If you want to know what is the best way to ship from USA to Australia and how to manage shipping to Australia for e-commerce businesses, keep reading.

Let's compare the shipping cost of a package of a weight of 4.409 lbs (2 kg) from New York to Sydney to assess the approximate cost for small businesses shipping to Australia. Prices were taken from the official carrier's website from the international shipping rate calculators for 2022.

Shipping a package of 4.409 lbs from the USA to Australia starts from $102 with USPS. The cheapest way to ship to Australia for e-commerce businesses is with USPS. The fastest way to ship to Australia is also with USPS. However, UPS is catching up quickly when it comes to delivery times. DHL is the second cheapest way to ship to Australia, also not far behind USPS.

On average it takes 2-6 days to ship to Australia from the US with expedited shipping and 7-10 days with economy shipping services. However, only mail and smaller envelopes can be sent with expedited shipping. Packages larger than 4 lbs are not eligible for expedited shipping and need to be sent with other shipping services that on average also take longer to be delivered.

The major carriers shipping from the USA to Australia are USPS, FedEx, UPS, and DHL. The Australia Post delivers to the United States but does not ship from the United States to Australia. All the carriers above have small business accounts where you can get a discount when shipping in bulk or where special deals are displayed.

USPS is a great choice when it comes to shipping to Australia from the US. Unlike other carriers, USPS uses flat rate shipping to determine the shipping cost to Australia. The flat rate shipping option is available for shipping envelopes and small boxes of weight limit up to 4 lbs or medium boxes up to 20 lbs. USPS has a business postage price calculator that shows shipping costs for retailers. Just indicate the number of units shipped and select the shape closest to what is being shipped, either letters, parcels, or flats. USPS is the cheapest way to ship to Australia for packages under 4lbs/2kg.

USPS International Shipping Services to Australia:

1. Priority Mail Express International (weight limit is 70 lbs)
2. Priority Mail International (max 20 lbs)
3. First-Class International Service (max 4 lbs)

UPS deliveries to Australia are usually very reliable and quick. UPS guarantees its delivery dates and times. Packages shipped with UPS to Australia are not handed over to Australia Post as it is in the case of USPS, thus you don't need to worry about faulty tracking or handling over two tracking numbers to your customers.

The UPS International Shipping Options Are:

1. UPS Worldwide Expedited (no weight limit)
2. UPS Worldwide Saver (max weight is 150 lbs)

FedEx ships to any location in Australia. FedEx uses a very simple shipping rates calculator for retailers on its website. FedEx shipping rates are based on the destination, weight, and a number of units.

The FedEx International Shipping Options Are:

1. FedEx International Priority (max150 lbs)
2. FedEx International Economy (max 150 lbs)

You can get a quote for DHL international shipping rates for a private account or for a business account. However, you have to register, otherwise, without being a registered user the shipping price is the same for both accounts.

For a business account, DHL enables the shipping of pallets. DHL will ask you for precise parameters of your pallet, its weight, length, width, and height. If you are not sure about the precise size, you can choose some of the default pre-measured packages. There are a couple of examples to choose from like shipping books, board games, small kitchen appliances, or a moving box. Also, describe whether the item shipped is palletized or non-stackable.

DHL deliveries to Australia can take as little as 3 days. You can track your package with free tracking by DHL which sends alerts by email. DHL is the second cheapest way to ship to Australia after USPS for packages with a weight limit of 4.409 lbs. The starting price is $175.

DHL Delivery Options to Australia Are:

1. International Express

The division of items prohibited from shipping to Australia can be divided into 3 main categories according to the Australian Border Force. Those are items that are allowed, then items allowed if restrictions are met, and lastly, not allowed or might need a special permit. Here is the list of the items that are prohibited or need a special permit to be shipped to Australia. To check for more information and permits check Australian Border Force's official site.

• Pet food
• Some breeds of dogs and cats
• Live plants
• Rice
• Animal furs or wool of any kind
• Drugs of any kind (including prescription)
• Uncanned Meat

Shipping to Australia from the USA is more complicated than shipping within the USA or to Canada. Australia is part of the Free Trade Agreement with the USA but there are still many restrictions to be aware of. Australia is known for its strict customs duties and taxes. Import permits must be obtained for the majority of shipped merchandise. International shipping rates to Australia are expensive and the delivery times if not expedited take at least 7 to 10 days.

To achieve the cheapest way to ship to Australia, choose the most economical carrier to ship with, and follow all the shipping restrictions and requirements of the Australian Border Force.

In addition, try out shipping software or extensions available for your e-commerce platform to help you manage your shipping storefront more efficiently and easily. For some tips see the section below.

Yes, there is. Try Calcurates to obtain accurate shipping rates from all major carriers, set up the right shipping methods to offer competitive shipping options at the checkout. With Calcurates you don't need to calculate shipping costs for Australia Post and USPS separately; it can get shipping quotes automatically, taking into account all the factors involved.

Here are some of the steps to take to achieve cost-effective shipping to Australia for e-commerce businesses:

These are the 5 main steps on how to ship to Australia for small businesses. All the shipping features are available in Calcurates.