India Post resumes mail services to US from Oct 15 with 50% duty

India Post will restart sending mail and packages to the US but all shipments will pay extra after the US imposed a flat 50% duty

India Post on Tuesday said it is resuming postal services of all categories to the United States starting October 15, but will charge a higher fee as mandated by US authorities.

 

As per US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) guidelines, customs duty on postal shipments from India to the US will be charged at a flat rate of 50 per cent of the declared consignment value under the new tariff rule, the Department of Posts said in a statement.

 

"The Department of Posts is pleased to announce the resumption of all categories of international postal services to the United States of America (USA) with effect from 15 October 2025," it said.

 

In August, the Department of Posts had announced a complete suspension of booking and dispatch of all categories of postal articles to the United States, following operational constraints arising from recent changes in US import tariff regulations.

 

What were the US trade rules?

 

India Post stopped sending mail to the US after Executive Order 14324 on July 30, 2025, ended the duty-free limit of $800, effective August 29. Subsequently, all shipments were obligated to pay customs duties, regardless of value.

 

For countries like India with tariffs on US goods at over 25 per cent, a flat $200 fee applies to items valued at $800 or less. At the time, India Post suspended all mail services to the US over a lack of clarity surrounding the new rules.

 

India Post will now restart services using a Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) system, which collects the required duties in India at the time of booking and pays them directly to US authorities.

 

Under the DDP system, exporters can pay duties upfront, ensuring predictable costs, faster customs clearance, and a cost-effective option for MSMEs, artisans, small traders, and e-commerce sellers.

 

"The suspension was necessitated by new regulatory requirements introduced by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the collection and remittance of import duties," India Post said.

 

Postal services to the US are often critical to Indian residents with family abroad, especially those who have children studying there, who use it to receive medicines, festival gifts, and important documents. Small businesses and e-commerce sellers also often rely on affordable postal services to send goods like handicrafts, clothing, and specialty foods to US customers, while keeping costs low.

 

Private couriers can often cost up to three times what the state-run postal service does, besides having differential rates for packages. Under the new rules, all postal shipments to the US will pay a flat 50 per cent customs duty, unlike private couriers, who may charge extra fees or product-specific charges, making shipping more expensive.