India Post has halted the booking of articles to the US following the withdrawal of exemptions on certain goods by the US.
US Administration on 30th July,
2025, issued an order under which the duty-free de minimis exemption for goods valued up to $800 will be withdrawn with effect from 29th August, 2025.
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"Consequently, all international postal items destined for the USA, regardless of their value, shall be subject to customs duties as per the country-specific International Emergency Economic Power Act (IEEPA) tariff framework," said Ministry of Communications in its press release on Saturday -- August 23. However, gift items up to the value of $100 shall continue to remain exempt from duties.
Why India Post has halted postal services to the US?
According to the US' Executive Order, transport carriers using the international postal network -- or other "qualified parties" approved by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) -- must collect and remit duties on postal shipments. Although CBP issued some guidelines on August 15, 2025, key processes such as the designation of "qualified parties" and the systems for duty collection and remittance are still unclear.
"Consequently, US bound air carriers have expressed their inability to accept postal consignments after 25th August, 2025, citing lack of operational and technical readiness," said the Indian Government.
Department of Posts decision
The Department of Posts has decided to temporarily suspend booking of all types of postal articles, destined for the USA with effect from 25th August, 2025. However, this suspension excludes letters/documents and gift items valued up to $100. These exempt categories will continue to be accepted and conveyed to the US, subject to further clarifications from CBP and USPS.
What about customers who have already booked their articles?
"Customers who have already booked articles that cannot be dispatched to the USA due to these circumstances may seek a refund of postage," said the Ministry of Communications.
