India to resume International Postal Services to USA from today

Postal services to the USA were earlier suspended through Office Memorandum dated 22 August 2025, following Executive Order 14324 issued by the U.S. Administration, which suspended the de minimis treatment for all postal shipments.

 The suspension was necessitated by new regulatory requirements introduced by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the collection and remittance of import duties.

After extensive system development, coordination with CBP-approved Qualified Parties, and successful operational trials in the Delhi and Maharashtra Circles, India Post has now established a compliant mechanism for Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) processing.

Under this new arrangement, all applicable customs duties on shipments to the USA will be collected upfront in India at the time of booking and remitted directly to CBP through approved Qualified Parties. This ensures full regulatory compliance, faster customs clearance, and seamless delivery to addressees in the USA without any additional duty or delay.

As per CBP guidelines, customs duty on postal shipments from India to the USA is applicable at a flat rate of 50% of the declared FOB value, under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariff (with country of origin as India).

 Unlike courier or commercial consignments, no additional base or product-specific duties are levied on postal items. This favourable duty structure substantially lowers the overall cost burden for exporters, making the postal channel a more affordable and competitive logistics option for MSMEs, artisans, small traders, and e-commerce exporters.

Importantly, the Department of Posts will not levy any additional charges on customers for facilitating DDP and Qualified Party services. The postal tariffs will remain unchanged, ensuring that exporters continue to benefit from affordable international delivery rates while complying with the revised U.S. import requirements.

Customers may now book all categories of international mail—EMS, Air Parcels, Registered Letters/Packets, and Tracked Packets—for delivery to the USA from any Post Office, International Business Centre (IBC), or Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra (DNK), or through the Self-Service Portal at www.indiapost.gov.in.

The Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) mechanism enhances the ease of doing business and introduces complete transparency in duty collection. Senders can now prepay all applicable duties in India, ensuring predictable total shipping costs and smoother delivery experiences for recipients abroad.

 This resumption marks a major milestone in strengthening India’s international postal and export logistics network and reflects India Post’s growing role in supporting the Government’s vision of inclusive, export-driven economic growth.