India Post suspends postal services to USA from August 25

New Delhi: The Department of Posts has announced a temporary suspension of booking for all types of postal articles destined for the United States of America (USA), effective August 25, 2025. This decision comes in response to the recent Executive Order No. 14324 issued by the U.S. Administration on July 30, 2025, which withdraws the duty-free de minimis exemption for goods valued up to USD 800 starting August 29, 2025.

Under the new regulations, all international postal shipments to the USA, regardless of value, will be subject to customs duties based on the International Emergency Economic Power Act (IEEPA) tariff framework. However, gift items valued up to USD 100 will continue to be exempt from customs duties.

Transport carriers operating through the international postal network, or other qualified parties approved by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), are now required to collect and remit duties on all postal shipments. Despite CBP issuing guidelines on August 15, 2025, crucial operational details, including the designation of “qualified parties” and mechanisms for duty collection, remain unresolved. Consequently, many U.S.-bound air carriers have declared their inability to accept postal consignments after August 25, 2025, citing a lack of technical and operational readiness.

In view of these challenges, the Indian Department of Posts will suspend booking of all postal articles—except letters, documents, and gift items up to USD 100—that are destined for the USA from August 25 onwards. The exempt categories will continue to be accepted and conveyed based on further clarifications from CBP and the United States Postal Service (USPS).

The Department is closely monitoring the situation and working with stakeholders to restore full postal services to the USA as soon as possible. Customers with bookings impacted by this suspension may seek refunds of postage costs.

The Department of Posts expressed regret for the inconvenience caused and assured the public that all efforts are underway to normalise services at the earliest opportunity.