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NEW DELHI: Govt has temporarily suspended postal services to the US as US-bound air carriers have denied carrying shipments due to lack of clarity in new norms issued by the American customs department, Ministry of Communications said on Saturday.However, services will continue for letters, documents and gift items up to $100. The exempt categories will continue to be accepted and conveyed to the US, subject to further clarifications from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and United States Postal Service (USPS), the ministry said in a statement. Under an Executive Order issued by the US administration on July 30, 2025, goods valued above $100 will be subject to customs duties in America with effect from August 29 onwards.As per the order, transport carriers delivering shipments through the international postal network, or other “qualified parties” approved by the US CBP, are required to collect and remit duties on postal shipments. “While CBP issued certain guidelines on August 15, 2025, several critical processes relating to the designation of “qualified parties” and mechanisms for duty collection and remittance remain undefined. Consequently, U.S. bound air carriers have expressed their inability to accept postal consignments after August 25, citing lack of operational and technical readiness,” the Communications Ministry said.Following the development, the Department of Posts has decided to “temporarily suspend booking of all types of postal articles” destined for the US with effect from Monday, except letters/documents and gift items up to $100 in value. The Postal Department is closely monitoring the evolving situation in coordination with all stakeholders, and every effort is being made to normalize services at the earliest possible opportunity. “Customers who have already booked articles that cannot be dispatched to the US due to these circumstances may seek a refund of postage. 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 US at the earliest,” the statement said.According to the decision by US authorities, all international postal items destined for the country, regardless of their value, will be subject to customs duties as per the country-specific International Emergency Economic Power Act (IEEPA) tariff framework.
