The Department of Posts has announced that it will temporarily halt acceptance of most postal consignments to the United States starting August 25, following changes in US duty regulations.
The US government issued an order on July 30, ending the duty-free exemption for goods valued up to USD 800. From August 29, all postal items sent to the US, regardless of value, will attract customs duties under the International Emergency Economic Power Act (IEEPA). Only gift items up to USD 100 will remain duty-free.
The order specifies that only international carriers and approved “qualified parties” can collect and pay duties on postal shipments. As the approval process and duty collection mechanisms remain unclear, airlines have indicated they will not be able to carry US-bound parcels after August 25.
Consequently, India Post will suspend booking for all types of articles to the US from August 25, except letters, documents, and gifts up to USD 100. Customers with already booked parcels that cannot be dispatched are eligible for a postage refund.
A Department of Posts statement said: “The Department of Posts deeply regrets the inconvenience caused to customers and assures that all possible measures are being undertaken to resume full services to the USA at the earliest.”
India is not alone in this suspension. Postal services in Scandinavia, Austria, France, and Belgium have also paused US deliveries ahead of the new regulations. Deutsche Post DHL confirmed that its German parcel service will stop accepting standard US-bound parcels from August 25, while its premium DHL Express service remains operational.
This move comes as part of broader US trade policy changes under President Donald Trump, who has imposed retaliatory tariffs on multiple nations, including India. Earlier in August, the Trump administration raised tariffs on Indian exports by an additional 25%, doubling the overall rate to 50%, citing India’s ongoing purchases of Russian crude oil.
