Sending packages to India is important to businesses, big and small. Sending packages is also important to individuals as the world is shrinking and becoming more global. Shipping to India from the United States is made easier by help from the United States Postal Service. The following tips will help make your shipment of packages to India easier and cut down with the hassles of international shipping.
Duty and Tariff Tips
The United States Postal Service states “In India, a very small number of articles is admitted free of customs duty and the tariffs of these duties vary considerably.” It would be wise to expect custom duties and tariffs when shipping to India. “The general rate of import duty is 30 percent but many articles are liable to a higher rate.” However, the 30 percent would be a good starting point for your planning of expenses related to sending the package. It is important to remember “import duty is chargeable even if the articles are received as free gifts.” It is also important to keep in mind “the fact that goods are old or second-hand or gifts or articles intended for personal use does not entitle them per se to exemption from import duty.” Duty is waived for some items. “The collection of duty is waived in cases where the total duty on a shipment does not exceed 3 rupees.” Also “books and magazines are generally exempt from import duty.”
Your packages sent to India will pass through customs faster and arrive to their destination faster if “their contents and value are clearly and correctly declared” when you ship your package. If you are sending packages to “post office boxes of Draw, Kargil and Leh in the State of Kashmir” it is important to keep in mind “Insured Priority Mail International parcels” will not be accepted between “November 1 to May 31.” This could be a potential seven-month delay to customers or acquaintances. It is a better practice to be aware of this policy to inform them before hand than to have them wait.
Not all items are legal to be shipped into India. The United States Postal Service has a complete list. I will high light some of the more common items. “Articles of gold or silver” and “coins; banknotes; currency notes; traveler’s checks; securities payable to bearer; precious stones; jewelry; and other valuable articles” are prohibited. So most things of value are prohibited. Their may be some exceptions so it would be important to research before sending such items. This is important if you are shipping collectible coins, jewelry, or are sending payment to complete a transaction or as a gift. Common since would dictate other items such as guns, weapons, and radioactive material are prohibited, as well.
