India announced on Saturday that it will temporarily halt postal deliveries to the United States due to confusion surrounding tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
This decision comes just days before the Trump administration’s plan to eliminate duty-free treatment for certain low-value parcels takes effect.
The Indian communications ministry noted that an executive order from last month mandates transport carriers or other “qualified parties” approved by US authorities to manage the collection and remittance of tariff duties.
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However, the ministry stated that “key processes for designating ‘qualified parties’ and the mechanisms for duty collection and remittance are still undefined.”
As a result, US-bound air carriers have indicated their inability to accept postal shipments after August 25, 2025, due to a lack of operational and technical readiness.
India’s postal department will, therefore, temporarily suspend bookings for “all types of postal articles” to the US from Monday, except for letters, documents, and gifts valued up to $100.
The ministry added that these exempt items will continue to be accepted and sent to the USA, pending further clarification from CBP and USPS, and assured that they are working hard to restore normal services.
This move is in line with similar actions by postal services across Europe.
France’s La Poste informed AFP that it would stop most package deliveries to the US starting Monday.
The new rules from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were issued on August 15, providing European postal services with very little time to adjust.
The Trump administration has announced the removal of tax exemptions on small packages entering the US from August 29.
