NZ Post can no longer deliver mail to China as airlines halt cargo flights

Tuesday, 18 February 2020

Mail to China is no longer being accepted by NZ Post.

New Zealand Post says it is currently unable to send letters and parcels to China due to its partner airlines suspending flights to China.

As a result NZ Post will cease to accept items destined for China until sufficient transport capacity becomes available.

NZ Post did not say when it expected to resume postal deliveries to China.

In a message to its international mail partners, it said: 'New Zealand Post would like to inform other Union member countries and their designated operators that its partner airlines have suspended their flights to China (People's Rep.) until further notice.'

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'New Zealand Post is currently unable to send letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items to China.

'New Zealand Post is therefore declaring a situation of force majeure and ceasing, with immediate effect, to accept letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items destined for China, until sufficient transport capacity becomes available.'

And, it warned people who had sent mail and parcels already that they should not expect the items to arrive quickly.

'Delays should be expected in receiving and sending mail and parcels that were sent before 17th February, until further notice. This is due to the extensive logistical and operational challenges faced internationally around the Covid-19 health crisis.'

'Customers who are expecting mail or parcels from China should expect significant delays in delivery of these into New Zealand,' NZ Post said.

'Chinese Government requirements have resulted in the suspension of many services and many senders within China have suspended business in an attempt to control the spread of Covid-19. The suspension of many flights which carry mail and parcels out of China is also contributing to these delays.'

It said advice from the World Health Authority was that mail arriving from China was safe to be handled without fear of contracting coronavirus.

'We've seen some parcels arriving in NZ with a 'sterilized' label on them, and these may be seen more frequently in the coming weeks,' NZ Post said.

'It is our understanding that these may have been sterilized within China (either by the sender, or by China Post) to prevent the spread of the virus locally where packets and parcels are handled more frequently by local delivery and logistics team members.

'The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed that Covid-19 does not survive for long on objects. It is therefore safe to receive mail and parcels from China, without risk of contracting the new coronavirus.'

It advised people who had concerns to read the WHO factsheet confirming it is safe to receive mail and parcels from China.

China is experiencing disruption to many aspects of life as the government attempts to get the coronavirus outbreak under control.

This temporary service suspension will be reviewed regularly and once China is able to receive mail and parcels, we will recommence sending these items.

But mail routes had not shut down entirely, the message said.

'International Express is still able to be sent to specific destinations at this time,' its website advised.