Amazon to allow Australians ship eligible items from its U.S website after backlash

Amazon.com Inc said on Thursday it would stop blocking Australians from shopping on its much larger U.S. site after a customer backlash, dumping an unpopular policy the retail giant had said was necessary to comply with Australian tax law.

"As a result of customer feedback, from 22 November Amazon customers will be able to ship eligible items from amazon.com to Australian delivery addresses," a company spokesman said in a statement.

Amazon started blocking orders from being shipped to Australia on July 1 when Australia's government applied a 10 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) to imported online goods worth less than A$1,000 ($726). ($1 = 1.3774 Australian dollars)