
India’s Department of Posts on August 23 announced a temporary suspension of most postal services to the United States in response to the latest round of US tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
According to the department, the suspension will take effect from August 25 and will cover all categories of postal articles except letters, documents and gift items valued up to $100.
“The Department of Posts has decided to temporarily suspend booking of all types of postal articles destined for the USA, with effect from 25 August 2025, except letters/documents and gift items up to $100 in value,” the department said in an official statement.
The statement added that these exempted categories would continue to be accepted and processed subject to further clarification from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the US Postal Service (USPS).
“The Department is closely monitoring the evolving situation in coordination with all stakeholders, and every effort is being made to normalise services at the earliest possible opportunity,” the government said.
Customers who have already booked parcels for the United States will need to claim a refund.
“Customers who have already booked articles that cannot be dispatched to the USA due to these circumstances may seek a refund of postage,” the department said, adding that it “deeply regrets the inconvenience caused”.
On July 30, the US federal administration ordered the withdrawal of duty-free treatment for goods up to $800 with effect from August 29. This effectively subjects all postal consignments entering the US to customs duties under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariff framework. Gift items worth up to $100, however, will continue to remain exempt.
While CBP issued operational guidelines on August 15, several critical mechanisms for designating “qualified parties” and collecting duties remain unresolved. As a result, international air carriers have notified their inability to accept US-bound postal consignments after August 25, citing operational and technical constraints.
(By arrangement with livemint.com)