India Resumes Postal Services To The US

NEW DELHI — India has resumed postal services to the United States, which were suspended on August 22, 2025, following Executive Order 14324 issued by the U.S. administration. The suspension had been necessary due to new U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations requiring the collection and remittance of import duties on all postal shipments.

According to an official statement, India Post has now established a fully compliant Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) system after extensive system upgrades, coordination with CBP-approved Qualified Parties, and successful operational trials in Delhi and Maharashtra.

Under the new arrangement, all applicable U.S. customs duties on postal shipments will be collected in India at the time of booking and remitted directly to CBP through approved intermediaries. This ensures regulatory compliance, faster customs clearance, and smoother delivery to recipients in the U.S., without any additional duties or delays.

As per CBP guidelines, postal shipments from India to the U.S. will attract a flat customs duty of 50% of the declared FOB (Free on Board) value, under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariff applicable to goods originating from India. Unlike courier or commercial consignments, no additional base or product-specific duties will apply to postal items.

This simplified duty structure, India Post said, will significantly reduce overall export costs, making the postal network a more competitive option for MSMEs, artisans, small traders, and e-commerce exporters.

Importantly, India Post clarified that no extra fees will be charged for facilitating DDP or Qualified Party services. International postal tariffs will remain unchanged, preserving affordability for exporters while ensuring compliance with new U.S. import rules.

All categories of international mail — including EMS, Air Parcels, Registered Letters/Packets, and Tracked Packets — can now be booked for delivery to the U.S. from any Post Office, International Business Centre (IBC), or Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra (DNK), as well as through the online Self-Service Portal at www.indiapost.gov.in.

India Post emphasized that the DDP mechanism enhances transparency and ease of doing business by allowing senders to prepay duties in India, ensuring predictable total costs and timely delivery overseas. (IANS)