The Ministry of Communications announced on Saturday that India has temporarily suspended all postal services to the United States, except for letters, documents, and gift items valued up to USD 100. The move comes after US-bound air carriers declined to carry shipments, citing uncertainty over new customs regulations issued by the American government. The suspension will take effect from August 25, 2025, until further clarity is provided by US authorities on the revised norms.

According to the ministry, the decision follows an Executive Order issued by the US administration on July 30, 2025, which mandates that goods valued above USD 100 sent through the international postal system must be subject to customs duties. From August 29, carriers or other “qualified parties” designated by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are expected to collect and remit these duties. However, carriers have expressed their inability to process such consignments, citing a lack of defined mechanisms for identifying qualified parties and handling duty collection and remittance.

While CBP released partial guidelines on August 15, critical operational details remain unresolved, forcing transport carriers to refuse US-bound shipments. In response, India Post has suspended the booking of all categories of mail to the US, except for the exempted items. The Ministry assured that once further clarifications are received from CBP and USPS, normal postal operations may resume. Until then, Indian customers can only send letters, documents, and small-value gifts, while parcels and high-value consignments remain restricted.