To add to @amuser’s post:
If you have been following, Trump flip-flops on the amount of tariffs and when they will be applied. It’s only going to be at the last minute when customs pushes the button to interpret the meaning of Trump’s tariffs.
For six months after August 29, shipments will face a specific tariff of $80 to $200 per package, based on the country of origin’s tariff rate. Though an article in India Today says a 25% tariff begins on August 1st.
I will become a guinea pig. I just placed an order today that will be shipped by India Post.
Since I typically save anywhere between 100% and 1000% (in the case of sildenafil or tadalafil), I can live with a 25% tariff. If it is between $80 and $200, that means I will be ordering larger amounts for the next six months. There is no possibility that customs can inspect the contents of every package. That would bring the system to a total halt.
I have looked at various sites and asked several AIs for the actual tariffs to be applied to shipments from India. Some AIs have slightly different interpretations, and many of their references are just journalistic opinion pieces.
The most optimistic is from Gemini Pro:
New Tariff Structure for Postal Shipments
Under the new regulations, goods shipped from India to the U.S. through the postal system will be subject to one of two new tariff schemes for an initial six-month period:
Ad Valorem Duty: This tariff will be calculated as a percentage of the declared value of the shipment. The specific rate will be equivalent to the effective tariff rate of the package’s country of origin. Given the newly imposed 25% tariff on Indian goods, this is the likely rate that will be applied.
Specific Tariff: Alternatively, a specific, fixed tariff ranging from $80 to $200 may be applied, depending on the tariff rate of the country of origin.
I don’t know the actual implications of this, and neither does Trump. We will just have to wait and see.
As it stands, it looks like the worst-case scenario will be an 80% tariff for the next six months after August 29.
“Shipments routed through the international postal system (i.e., India Post in partnership with USPS) are treated differently from those shipped via private carriers such as FedEx, DHL, or UPS”
For international postal parcels from India (and globally), there are now two tariff scenarios:
Or, goods will face an “ad valorem duty” calculated at the same tariff rate applied to that country’s exports—a percentage of the declared value of the goods (for India, now set at 25%)
The way I read it, packages sent from India through the postal system will face only a 25% ad valorem tax. But, for sure, it is going to delay shipments.
“Customs handling: Although the postal channel is less administratively burdensome than commercial courier services, all parcels will now need to clear customs duties, lengthening the process and potentially increasing paperwork.”
