News Brief
India Resumes All International Postal Services To The US After Two-Month Suspension With New Duty-Paid System
United States Postal Service (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
India has resumed all categories of international postal services to the United States starting today, ending a nearly two-month suspension triggered by new American customs regulations.
The Department of Posts had halted services on 22 August following US Executive Order 14324, which withdrew duty-free treatment for postal shipments and introduced stringent compliance requirements.
The resumption follows India Post's implementation of a Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) mechanism, which collects customs duties upfront in India at the time of booking and remits them directly to US authorities.
Under US Customs and Border Protection guidelines, postal shipments from India now face a flat 50 per cent customs duty on the declared consignment value.
India Post clarified that unlike courier or commercial consignments, no additional product-specific duties will be levied on postal items, creating a cost advantage for exporters.
All mail categories including EMS, Air Parcels, Registered Letters and Tracked Packets can now be booked from any post office, International Business Centre or Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra.
After extensive system development and successful operational trials in Delhi and Maharashtra, India Post established the compliant DDP system in coordination with CBP-approved Qualified Parties.
The suspension had affected families sending medicines and gifts to relatives in America, as well as small exporters who relied on affordable postal rates.
