As of August 29, any items sent or in transit would be subject to the new tariffs, NZ Post said, regardless of their value.
“We appreciate your patience while we adapt to these changes. We’ll continue to keep this page updated as we learn more,” it said.
NZ Post said it expected the suspension would be short-term but could not give customers an exact date.
New Zealand was hit with a 15% base rate tariff at the start of the month, up from the original 10% announced earlier.
Trump announced the tariffs back in April and said they would be imposed on more than 125 countries.
Donald Trump’s tariffs are impacting Kiwi businesses and NZ Post shipping. Photo / Getty Images
Tariffs are paid by importers of products from other countries to their own Governments and are akin to taxes, effectively making imported goods more expensive for local consumers.
Advocates say they protect local economies, while detractors say they reduce trade and push up prices.
In announcing the initial range of tariffs in April, Trump caused confusion when he held up a chart saying New Zealand charged US goods a 20% tariff, which the New Zealand Government denied.
The initial tariff ended up being 10%, which Willis at the time called “extraordinary”. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said New Zealand would not respond in kind.
Two-thirds of Kiwi businesses in a survey earlier this year thought the tariffs would have a more severe global impact than Covid-19 and the Global Financial Crisis over the next 12 months.
– RNZ