NEW DELHI: India will resume all categories of international postal services to the United States from October 15, the Department of Posts under the Ministry of Communications announced on Tuesday.In a statement, the ministry announced “the resumption of all categories of international postal services to the United States of America (USA) with effect from 15 October 2025.” India Post has introduced a new Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) system for shipments to the US, allowing customers to send parcels, documents, and gifts with affordable and transparent shipping.”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,” the statement said.”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,” it added. The new mechanism is expected to enable faster customs clearance, full compliance with US import norms, and smoother delivery to recipients in the US without any additional duties or delays. Postal services to the US had been suspended since August 22, 2025, after the US administration issued Executive Order 14324, ending the “de minimis” exemption for postal imports and requiring new duty collection procedures.Under the updated US Customs rules, imports from India through postal channels attract a flat 50% customs duty on the declared Free on Board (FOB) value, under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariff. No additional product-specific duties apply, making the postal route cost-effective compared to courier or freight services—especially for MSMEs, artisans, small traders, and e-commerce exporters.India Post clarified that no extra charges will be levied for the new DDP or Qualified Party services.”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,” the release stated.This measure has been introduced to maintain affordability, support MSMEs, and boost India’s exports through the postal channel,” it added.From October 15, customers will be able to send all categories of international mail, EMS, Air Parcels, Registered Letters/Packets, and Tracked Packets—to the US from any Post Office, International Business Centre (IBC), Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra (DNK), or through the India Post online portal.The DDP system, the ministry added, will improve the ease of doing business by allowing exporters to prepay all duties in India, providing complete cost transparency and reducing delivery uncertainties abroad. Go to Source
