India Post suspends mail operations to U.S. in absence of rule clarity

India Post has suspended all categories of mail operations destined to the U.S. in the absence of clarity over new rules issued by the U.S. Customs department, an official statement said on Sunday (August 31, 2025).

Earlier, the country's Postal department had temporarily suspended postal services for gifts valued above $100 due to the new custom rules issued by the U.S. government.

"In continuation of the Public Notice dated August 22, 2025, the Department of Posts has reviewed the suspension of booking of mails to the United States of America. In view of the ongoing inability of carriers to transport U.S.-bound mail and in the absence of defined regulatory mechanisms, it has been decided to completely suspend the booking of all categories of mail, including letters, documents, and gift items valued up to $100, destined for the USA," the statement said.

The Department of Posts said it was closely monitoring the situation and making every effort to restore services at the earliest.

"Customers who have already booked items that could not be dispatched may claim a refund of postage," the statement said.

On August 23, the department had said the postal services from India to the U.S. had been temporarily suspended due to denial of carrying shipments by U.S.-bound air carriers due to the lack of clarity in new norms issued by the U.S. Customs department.

Under an executive order issued by the U.S. administration on July 30, 2025, goods valued above $100 are subject to customs duties in the U.S. with effect from August 29 onwards.

As per the Executive Order, transport carriers delivering shipments through the international postal network, or other "qualified parties" approved by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), are required to collect and remit duties on postal shipments.

While CBP had issued certain guidelines on August 15, several critical processes relating to the designation of "qualified parties" and mechanisms for duty collection and remittance remain undefined.