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India Suspends Most US-Bound Postal Parcels Ahead of De Minimis Rollback

Carriers say they lack a defined system to collect new US duties under Executive Order 14324.

A truck arrives at the DHL Mega Parcel Center in Ludwigsfelde near Berlin, Germany, on May 31, 2022.
TOPSHOT - Stacked parcels are seen up front as a Hongkong Post employee stands at a service counter at a post office in Hong Kong on April 16, 2025. Hong Kong's postal service said April 16 it will stop shipping goods bound for the United States in response to "bullying" tariff hikes by US President Donald Trump. Hongkong Post will stop accepting surface mail of US-bound items with immediate effect and air mail items starting from April 27. (Photo by Peter PARKS / AFP) (Photo by PETER PARKS/AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • Effective Aug 25, India Post stopped accepting parcels to the US, with only letters/documents and gifts up to $100 still allowed.
  • CBP’s Aug 15 guidance left key steps undefined, and US-bound airlines told Indian authorities they cannot carry consignments after Aug 25 due to lack of readiness.
  • The US removal of the de minimis exemption takes effect Aug 29, putting all postal imports under IEEPA tariff rules and introducing new duties on low-value items.
  • Postal operators in Europe and parts of Asia have announced comparable pauses, while some express courier services continue to operate with duties applied.
  • India Post will refund undeliverable bookings and cautions the open-ended pause will disrupt cross-border e-commerce and small exporters that ship roughly 100–200 tonnes to the US each month.