NEW DELHI, Oct 14: Ending the near-two months’ suspension triggered by the changes in the US customs regulations, India will resume all categories of international postal services to the United States from October 15.
The Department of Posts said it had established a fully compliant mechanism to meet new U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) rules, which had forced India to halt shipments on August 22 after Washington withdrew “de minimis” exemptions on postal imports under Executive Order 14324.
The resumption follows extensive coordination between India Post and CBP-approved “Qualified Parties,” along with successful system trials in Delhi and Maharashtra. Under the new arrangement, all applicable import duties on parcels sent to the U.S. will be collected upfront in India and remitted directly to CBP through these Qualified Parties.
“This ensures full regulatory compliance, faster customs clearance, and seamless delivery without additional duty or delay,” the Ministry of Communications said in a statement. The U.S. has imposed a flat customs duty of 50% of the declared Free on Board (FOB) value on postal items originating from India, under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariff. The flat rate replaces product-specific tariffs and makes postal exports cheaper than commercial courier channels for small businesses.
In a significant relief to exporters, India Post will not charge any additional fees for facilitating the new Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) mechanism or Qualified Party services. Postal tariffs will remain unchanged. Officials said the simplified system would especially benefit micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), artisans, and e-commerce sellers who rely on affordable and transparent logistics.
The postal service emphasized that the DDP mechanism enhances the ease of doing business by offering predictable, all-inclusive shipping costs. Customers can now prepay all duties at the time of booking, ensuring faster, duty-cleared delivery in the U.S.
Postal shipments to the U.S. — including Express Mail Service (EMS), Air Parcels, Registered Letters, and Tracked Packets — can again be booked from any Post Office, International Business Centre, or Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra, as well as through India Post’s online portal.
The department has directed regional postal heads to launch awareness campaigns for exporters and entrepreneurs about the renewed service and its advantages. Officials said the move is expected to strengthen India’s export ecosystem by providing reliable, low-cost logistics connectivity to global markets. The initiative aligns with national programmes such as Make in India, One District One Product (ODOP), and Dak Ghar Niryat Kendras (DNKs) aimed at boosting local manufacturing and exports.
Trade experts see the restoration of postal exports as part of India’s broader effort to insulate its export channels from shifting global regulatory landscapes. The suspension had affected small exporters, particularly those dealing in handicrafts, textiles, and online merchandise, who rely on India Post as a low-cost shipping option.
“India Post’s quick compliance response underscores how critical the postal network has become to small exporters and digital trade,” said a senior trade analyst. “With rising protectionism and tariff barriers, mechanisms like DDP can help Indian firms remain competitive.”
The resumption, officials said, marks “a major milestone” in strengthening India’s international logistics framework. It also reaffirms India Post’s evolving role from a domestic mail carrier to a key enabler of export-led growth. By restoring a vital trade corridor with the U.S. — one of India’s largest export markets — the government aims to keep small exporters integrated into global supply chains amid growing customs scrutiny and trade fragmentation, the experts said.
(Manas Dasgupta)
