India temporarily suspends most postal services to US; effective August 25 amid new customs order – Know what’s exempted from the ban

NEW DELHI: The department of posts on Saturday announced a temporary suspension of most international postal services to the United States, effective August 25, 2025, in response to major regulatory changes introduced by the US government that impact the international shipping of goods.As per the statement issued by the government, this decision follows the issuance of Executive Order No. 14324 by the US administration on July 30, 2025, which withdraws the duty-free de minimis exemption for goods valued up to USD 800, a threshold that previously allowed low-value goods to enter the US without customs duties.

Beginning August 29, 2025, all goods sent to the US, regardless of their value, will be subject to customs duties under the International Emergency Economic Power Act (IEEPA) tariff framework.Gift items valued up to USD 100 will remain exempt from these new duties, according to the executive order.The executive order also outlines new responsibilities for transport carriers and “qualified parties” authorized by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). These entities are now required to collect and remit duties on international postal shipments. Although CBP released initial guidelines on August 15, 2025, critical implementation details, such as the process for designating “qualified parties” and systems for collecting and remitting duties, have not yet been finalized. Due to these unresolved issues, air carriers handling US-bound international mail have expressed their inability to accept postal consignments after August 25 citing lack of technical and operational preparedness to comply with the new requirements.As a result, the Department of Posts will suspend the booking of all categories of international postal articles destined for the US with effect from August 25 except for the following:

These exempted categories will continue to be accepted and transported to the US, subject to further clarifications from CBP and the United States Postal Service (USPS).The department is in close coordination with all relevant stakeholders and is actively monitoring developments. Efforts are being made to resume full postal operations to the US as soon as possible, as per a PIB release.Customers who have already booked items that are no longer eligible for dispatch under the new conditions may apply for a refund of postage. The department expressed regret for the inconvenience caused and reaffirmed its commitment to restoring full service at the earliest opportunity.Key dates-