In view of the continued inability of carriers to transport mail bound for the US and the absence of a defined regulatory mechanism, the Department of Posts, India has decided to completely suspend the booking of all categories of mail bound for the US, including letters, documents and gift items up to the value of US$ 100.
In continuation of the public notice dated August 22, 2025, the Postal Department has reviewed the suspension of booking of mail to the United States.
The Ministry of Communications issued a statement on August 31 saying that the department is closely monitoring the situation and is making every effort to restore services as soon as possible. Customers who have already booked goods and which could not be sent can claim postage refund. The ministry further said that we regret the inconvenience caused to the esteemed customers.
The postal department had taken note of Executive Order No. 14324 issued by the US administration on July 30, under which the duty-free de minimis exemption for goods valued up to USD 800 was withdrawn from August 29. All international postal items sent to the United States, regardless of their value, were subject to customs duty as per the country-specific International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariff framework.
According to the executive order, transportation carriers delivering shipments through the international postal network, or other “qualified parties” approved by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), are required to collect and remit fees on postal shipments. Although CBP issued some guidelines on August 15, several key processes related to the designation of “qualified parties” and the mechanism for fee collection and remittance are still undefined.
As a result, airlines flying to the US have expressed their inability to accept postal consignments after August 25, citing lack of operational and technical preparedness.
It is worth noting that the Postal Department had already decided to temporarily suspend booking of all types of postal items going to the US from August 25, except letters/documents and gift items worth up to US$100. At the same time, according to the statement issued, all bookings worth less than US$100 have also been suspended.
