India Post has resumed all categories of parcel and postal services to the United States from Wednesday (October 15) after a two-month suspension. The move comes as a relief to exporters, MSMEs, e-commerce vendors, and families who rely on the service to send parcels to loved ones abroad.
An official from the postal department confirmed that “all categories of postal services to the US will resume from October 15”, adding that senders would continue paying the usual postal tariffs. However, “duties will now be collected upfront under US Customs guidelines”, ensuring compliance with American import rules and avoiding delivery delays.
Why were services halted?
The suspension began after former US President Donald Trump’s order to impose a 50 per cent customs duty on Indian shipments. His executive action revoked the “de minimis” exemption for low-value commercial consignments under USD 800, meaning every product entering the US would attract duties.
Also read: India Post to phase out Registered Post; what does it mean for secure postal delivery?
Faced with confusion and clearance issues, India Post halted shipments to the US in August. The decision disrupted operations for thousands of small exporters, artisans, e-commerce sellers, and MSMEs. It also affected individuals sending medicines or homemade items to relatives in America.
DDP system and upfront payments
With the resumption, India Post has introduced the Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) system, where duties are collected in India at the time of booking and remitted to US authorities directly. This ensures recipients in the US won’t face additional payment demands.
Also read: India open to more US crude imports, says commerce secretary
India Post has clarified that it will not impose extra charges for using the DDP system. The department expects faster customs clearance, smoother deliveries, and no hidden costs for customers.
Boost for MSMEs and exporters
The streamlined process is expected to help small exporters regain confidence in India Post. Many who had shifted to private courier firms—often accused of charging arbitrary rates—are likely to return to the government service.
Also read: Tariff volatility upending global trade, says Jaishankar
For MSMEs and e-commerce platforms, the DDP mechanism offers a cost-effective and transparent shipping option, crucial amid global trade uncertainties.
The content above has been transcribed from video using a fine-tuned AI model. To ensure accuracy, quality, and editorial integrity, we employ a Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) process. While AI assists in creating the initial draft, our experienced editorial team carefully reviews, edits, and refines the content before publication. At The Federal, we combine the efficiency of AI with the expertise of human editors to deliver reliable and insightful journalism.
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