The postal services to the US will resume from October 15 after remaining suspended since 25th August as the Trump administration removed duty exemption on all goods sent through courier or mail.
India Post has now established a compliant mechanism for Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) processing. “Under this new arrangement, all applicable customs duties on shipments to the USA will be collected upfront in India at the time of booking and remitted directly to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) through approved Qualified Parties,” a statement by the Department of Posts said.
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DDP system to ease e-commerce exports
This facility will help in the resumption of ee-commerce exports to the US, sent through post. The Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) mechanism enhances the ease of doing business and introduces complete transparency in duty collection. Senders can now prepay all applicable duties in India, ensuring predictable total shipping costs and smoother delivery experiences for recipients abroad, the department said.
The operational trail for the new system was held in Delhi and Maharashtra circles. The system has been developed in coordination with CBP-approved parties. This ensures full regulatory compliance, faster customs clearance, and seamless delivery to addressees in the USA without any additional duty or delay.
As per CBP guidelines, customs duty on postal shipments from India to the USA is applicable at a flat rate of 50% of the declared Free On Board (FOB) value or the costs of goods with all expenses paid.
Postal route offers costal advantage for small exporters
Unlike courier or commercial consignments, no additional base or product-specific duties are levied on postal items. “This favourable duty structure substantially lowers the overall cost burden for exporters, making the postal channel a more affordable and competitive logistics option for MSMEs, artisans, small traders, and e-commerce exporters,” the statement said.
Importantly, the Department of Posts will not levy any additional charges on customers for facilitating DDP and Qualified Party services. The postal tariffs will remain unchanged, ensuring that exporters continue to benefit from affordable international delivery rates while complying with the revised U.S. import requirements, the department said.
Customers may now book all categories of international mail—EMS, Air Parcels, Registered Letters/Packets, and Tracked Packets—for delivery to the USA from any Post Office, International Business Centre (IBC), or Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra (DNK), or through the Self-S.