‘Undefined mechanisms’: India halts US-mail including up to $100 parcels; postal service cites new tariff rules

India’s postal department has suspended all mail bookings to the United States, following new US governmental regulations that alter the protocol for incoming shipments.The official communication indicated that postal services, including letters, documents and gifts valued up to $100 destined for the US, will not be booked, as reported by Economic Times.“In view of the inability of carriers to transport US-bound mail, and undefined regulatory mechanisms, it has now been decided to completely suspend booking of all categories of mail, including letters/documents and gifts value upto 100 USD, destined to the USA,” the government announced in a notice.Officials, quoted by ET, confirmed ongoing monitoring of the situation and assured efforts towards swift service restoration.This came in place of an earlier governmental directive dated August 22, specifying that transmission of all US-bound mail items, barring documents/letters and gifts valued up to $100, would cease from August 25, 2025.The decision follows the US administration’s Executive Order No. 14324 issued on July 30, 2025, which removed duty-free allowance on imported goods worth up to $800- which were earlier exempted.Starting August 29, all US-bound goods incur customs duties under the International Emergency Economic Power Act (IEEPA) tariff structure, though gifts valued up to $100 remain duty-free. However, the uncertainty arising from the rule change, pushed India to stop deliveries of values up to $100 as well.The Department’s notice explained that US Customs and Border Protection requires comprehensive duty collection and data exchange mechanisms. Indian carriers servicing US routes have expressed their inability to transport postal items without these systems.Customers who have previously booked items that cannot be sent to the US are eligible for postage reimbursement.