Sending a Parcel to the USA by India Post (2026): Duty Paid at Booking, Gift Rules and Costs
Yes, you can send parcels to the US from your post office again. Here's how the duty is worked out and paid at the counter, what changed in July 2026, what to do about gifts and sweets, and which service to pick.
Last updated: November 7, 2026. US tariffs on postal items have changed several times since 2025, so confirm the duty at your post office on the day you book. यह गाइड हिंदी में पढ़ें
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Yes, India Post is booking parcels to the United States. Bookings were stopped in late August 2025 and restarted on 15 October 2025 for all categories: international Speed Post (EMS), air parcels, registered letters and packets, and tracked packets. The big difference from before: US customs duty on goods is now paid by you, at the post office counter, when you book. This is called DDP (Delivery Duty Paid), and it means your family in the US shouldn't get a duty bill at their door.
If you read in 2025 that the duty is a flat 50% of the value, that's out of date. Since 23 July 2026, India Post works out duty item by item, using the US tariff code for each thing you send. For goods made in India, that means the normal US duty for that item plus an extra 10% that the US put on Indian goods from 24 July 2026.
Letters and documents carry no duty because they aren't goods. Clothes, sweets, jewellery, books and gifts are goods, and the new rules apply to them, including gifts to family. Below is exactly how it works and how to get it right the first time.
What Happened: Suspension, Restart and the July 2026 Change
A lot of the confusion comes from old news. Here's the short timeline so you know which rules are current.
| When | What changed |
|---|---|
| 30 July 2025 | US Executive Order 14324 ends the duty-free treatment of imports worth $800 or less, effective 29 August 2025, for every country. |
| Late August 2025 | India Post suspends bookings to the US because US-bound airlines said they couldn't yet carry postal items under the new US duty rules. Letters, documents and gifts up to $100 were first exempted, but on 31 August 2025 India Post suspended all categories, including letters and documents. |
| 15 October 2025 | All categories resume with duty collected at booking (DDP). Duty is a flat 50% of the declared value. India Post says it charges nothing extra for the DDP service and postage rates stay the same. |
| 24 July 2026 | A US customs (CBP) regulation suspends duty-free treatment for mail indefinitely and starts a new postal entry process for shipments worth $2,500 or less. A new 10% US tariff on Indian goods applies from the same day. |
| From 23–27 July 2026 | India Post replaces the flat rate with duty by tariff code. From 27 July 2026, a 10-digit US tariff (HTSUS) code is captured for every item at booking. |
Watch out for old posts and videos. Many still say "India Post USA service suspended" or "50% duty". Neither is true now. If someone at a small branch office isn't sure, ask them to check with the Head Post Office or book at an International Business Centre or a Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra.
How the US Duty Is Worked Out and Paid at the Counter
You declare each item, its value and its tariff code. The post office collects the US duty from you along with the postage. India Post then has the customs entry filed in the US through a licensed US customs broker, using the information you gave. That's why the details have to be right.
The duty on each item is made of two parts:
1. Normal US duty for that item
Every product has a rate in the US tariff schedule, set by its 10-digit code. Some items are 0%, others much higher. Clothing, for example, can be coded differently depending on the fabric.
2. Extra 10% on Indian goods
From 24 July 2026, the US adds 10% on goods made in India (its Section 301 action). It goes on top of the normal duty. Goods already covered by separate US "Section 232" tariffs (such as steel and aluminium), informational materials, donations and certain other products listed in the US notice are excluded from this 10%.
A worked example
Say you're sending two kurtas worth $60 in total. The rate below is made up to show the arithmetic, so don't use it for your own parcel. The real one comes from the item's code at the counter.
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Declared value of the kurtas | $60.00 |
| Normal US duty, if the code's rate were 10% (example only) | $6.00 |
| Extra 10% on Indian goods | $6.00 |
| Duty you pay at booking | $12.00 (charged in rupees) |
You pay this on top of the postage. Before you go, ask your post office how they convert dollars to rupees and whether any service charge is added. When the DDP system started in October 2025, India Post said it would charge nothing extra for it, but confirm that it still holds.
Over $2,500? India Post's postal entry process only covers shipments with a value of $2,500 or less. Anything above that needs a formal US customs entry, so speak to the International Business Centre or Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra first, or use a courier with an export desk.
Gifts and Documents: What's Different
Documents and letters: papers, certificates and letters aren't goods, so there's no US duty on them. Note that from 31 August 2025 until the restart on 15 October 2025, India Post stopped accepting even letters and documents for the US.
Gifts: US customs still says on its website that a person in the US can receive gifts worth up to $100 a day free of duty, and its 2026 postal rule says that gift exemption is unchanged. But India Post's July 2026 instructions say the new requirements apply to all goods, including gifts and personal shipments. So in practice, expect your gift to go through the same process: tariff code, declared value and duty worked out at the counter.
Honestly, don't plan your budget around the $100 gift rule. Ask the counter clerk whether a gift under $100 can go duty-free on that day's system. If they say duty applies, you're better off knowing before you pack the box.
Filling in the customs form (CN 22 / CN 23)
Every parcel of goods needs a customs declaration. CN 22 is the short form for lower-value items, and CN 23 is the fuller form for higher values. The counter will tell you which one your parcel needs. On either form:
EMS vs International Tracked Packet vs Air Parcel to the USA
These are open for the US. The duty is the same whichever you pick, because it depends on what's inside, not on the service. What changes is speed, weight limit and tracking.
| Service | Best for | Weight and tracking |
|---|---|---|
| International Speed Post (EMS) | Urgent items, documents, valuables, festival boxes that need to arrive fast | India Post's fastest option, with tracking. Ask the counter for the current US weight limit. |
| International Tracked Packet (ITPS) | Small, light items: a couple of sarees, rakhi, a book, small online orders | Tracked, priced per 50 g. The US weight limit and rates have been revised more than once since 2025 (the ITPS rate table was replaced again in 2026), so confirm both at the counter. |
| International Air Parcel | Heavier, non-urgent boxes where cost matters more than speed | Slower than EMS. Ask at the counter for the US weight limit and tracking details. |
| Registered letter (air) | Letters and documents only | Since 1 January 2026, India Post has stopped outward small packets (letter-post items containing goods), including registered small packets. Registration continues for documents sent by air. Send small goods by ITPS instead. |
Postage is charged on top of any duty. Tariffs get revised, so check the current ITPS figure with India Post's postage calculator on indiapost.gov.in or at the counter. Do the same for EMS: the price depends on weight, and the counter will quote it before you pay.
My pick: use ITPS for light items within its weight limit that aren't urgent, and EMS for heavier boxes or anything that has to land before a date, like Diwali sweets or a wedding outfit. Neither service has a guaranteed delivery date to the US, and customs checks can add days, so post early.
What You Can't Send to the US (Especially Food)
Food and farm products are the most common trouble spot. US customs lists these as prohibited or restricted:
Meat in any form: including anything containing meat, such as soup mixes and stock cubes. Skip the chicken pickle.
Fresh fruits and vegetables, plants, seeds and soil: many are restricted, and plants and seeds often need import permits, while soil is prohibited without one. Leave out fresh mangoes, curry leaves and saplings.
Items India Post doesn't accept at all: anything flammable, explosive, liquids that can leak, cash and other items on India Post's prohibited list. See our how to send Speed Post guide for packing basics.
Sweets and snacks: send them yourself
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) normally wants a "prior notice" before food arrives. But under its gift policy, when an individual buys food and posts it to family or friends for non-business reasons, the FDA and US customs typically don't take action if there's no prior notice. If the shop ships it for you, the shop is the shipper, and the FDA generally does act when prior notice is missing.
So buy the sweets, pack them in their sealed boxes, and book the parcel yourself. Declare each food item clearly by name and weight. Food is regulated by a US agency, so the counter may ask for extra details; give them, and don't hide food inside a box of clothes.
How to Book a Parcel to the USA — Step by Step
Make a list of every item, with value
Write down what each item is, what it's made of, where it was made and what it cost. Keep the bills if you have them.
Find the tariff code for each item
India Post needs a 10-digit US (HTSUS) code. The counter or the International Business Centre can help you find it. A more exact description ("women's cotton kurta, woven") gives a more accurate code.
Pack it open, or check before sealing
Many counters want to see the contents before you seal an international parcel. Carry tape and a sturdy box, and seal it at the counter.
Go to a post office that books international mail
Head Post Offices, International Business Centres and Dak Ghar Niryat Kendras handle this every day. India Post also lets you book online through its self-service portal. Carry an ID proof.
Fill in the CN 22 or CN 23 and pay postage plus duty
Check the duty figure on your receipt before you leave. If something looks wrong, ask then, not after the parcel has gone.
Keep the receipt and share the tracking number
Send the consignment number to the person in the US so they can follow it and watch for the delivery.
Tracking Your Parcel on India Post and USPS
Your receipt has a 13-character number ending in IN. Enter it on SpeedIndiaPost.com to see it leave the booking office, reach the foreign post office and get dispatched abroad. Once it lands in the US, it's handed to USPS, and the person in the US can enter the same number on the USPS website for local delivery updates.
Don't panic if the tracking goes quiet for a few days between "dispatched" and the US arrival scan. That gap often happens with international mail. Our tracking status guide explains each step, and if nothing moves for a long time, see tracking not updating.
Track Your Parcel NowMistakes That Cost People Money
Under-declaring the value: it lowers the duty today but the sender carries the risk if US customs disagrees. Declare honestly.
Vague descriptions: "household items" or "gift pack" can't be given a tariff code. List each thing by name.
Mixing documents with goods: send important papers like certificates separately as a document, so they don't get held with a box of goods.
Incomplete US address: missing apartment numbers or ZIP codes cause returns. Our address guide shows how to lay it out clearly.
Posting late for a festival: customs clearance can add days. For Christmas or New Year, post well ahead; we'd suggest at least three to four weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What to Do Now
Today: write your item list with values and where each thing was made. Drop anything with meat, fresh produce or seeds.
Call ahead: India Post's toll-free number is 1800 266 6868. Ask which nearby office books US parcels and what the duty would be for your items.
Pick the service: ITPS for light, non-urgent items within its weight limit, EMS for anything heavier or time-bound. Post early for the holidays.
After booking: track it on our homepage, and if it's lost or damaged, use our complaint guide.
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