India Post has announced that it will suspend the booking of all types of parcels to the United States starting August 25, following a major policy change by US authorities. Only letters, documents, and gift items valued up to USD 100 will be accepted.
The decision comes after the US government withdrew the duty-free exemption for goods up to USD 800 through an order issued on July 30. Effective August 29, all postal consignments, regardless of value, will attract customs duties under the International Emergency Economic Power Act (IEEPA) tariff framework.
Since airlines have stated they will not be able to carry US-bound parcels without a clear mechanism for duty collection, India Post has halted parcel services to avoid disruptions. Customers who have already booked undeliverable consignments will be eligible for a refund.
The Department of Posts expressed regret over the inconvenience and assured that efforts are being made to resume full services at the earliest.
India is not alone in facing the impact of the new rules. Postal services in Scandinavia, Austria, France, and Belgium have also suspended shipments to the US. Meanwhile, Deutsche Post DHL has stopped accepting standard US-bound parcels from Germany, though its premium DHL Express service will continue unaffected.
For now, Indian customers will only be able to send letters, documents, and gift items below USD 100 duty-free, but even those shipments are expected to undergo stricter checks to prevent misuse.
