India to Suspend Postal Services to US from August 25 After Trump’s Tariff Moves

The department of posts on Saturday announced that postal services to the United States will be temporarily suspended between August 25 and September 1 due to modification of the US customs rule which are coming into effect later this month.

This ruling comes into force after the US executive order No. 14324 was issued on July 30 and annulled the privilege of duty-free exemption of goods with a value of up to USD 800.

Also Read: WBJEE Counselling 2025: Registration Begins August 28, Full Schedule at wbjeeb.nic.in

This withheld postage is in the backdrop of rising trade conflicts, where on the one hand, US President Donald Trump plunked a 25 per cent tariff on India, and then added a penalty of 25 per cent on India buying Russian oil, which would literally amount to 50 per cent of tariff.

According to a press statement issued by the department of posts, with effect form August 29, “all international postal items destined for the USA, regardless of their value, shall be subject to customs duties as per the country-specific International Emergency Economic Power Act (IEEPA) tariff framework.” But the exemption will persist on gift items not exceeding USD 100.

Under the new order, transport carriers that cleanly pass shipments over the international postage system or other authoritative persons authenticated by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will be necessitated to ensure compliance and gather duties and remit them.

Also Read: One Million Stray Dogs in Delhi Regain Right to Roam After Supreme Court Verdict

Under the release, although CBP provided guidance on August 15, there are a number of procedures that define the process of designating the status of who qualifies and how duties can be collected that are still unclear.

This has caused the US bound air carriers to write-off Indian authorities that they will not be in a position to accept any consignment after August 25 based on their lack of operational preparedness.

“In view of the above, the Department of Posts has decided to temporarily suspend booking of all types of postal articles destined for the USA with effect from 25th August, 2025, except letters/documents and gift items up to USD 100 in value,” the press release said.

The department cautioned that customers who have already booked but whose items are undeliverable might want to request refund on postage. It also said it is “closely monitoring the evolving situation in coordination with all stakeholders, and every effort is being made to normalize services at the earliest possible opportunity.”

Also Read: Jaishankar’s Dig at US-Pak Relations: “They Overlook Their Own History”