Is there a mechanism to submit the prescription from the start so that the shipment isn’t held up at all?
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That should be possible.
One possible option would require the vendor/shipper to co-operate.
Most shipments now will have triplicate copies of a commercial invoice in a pouch on the parcel. If the vendor would put a couple copies of the prescription in that pouch, it may help.
Update.
Contacted my HGH provider… China. She said my shipment is in the USA waiting to go through customs then to me by FedEx.
If it works I am happy…
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Personally, I am waiting until this is resolved. Trolling through X and Reddit, things aren’t looking good.
I was considering a new order from a supplier who ships from Dubai because the tariff is 10%
“Most products from the UAE are subject to a standard 10% tariff, a policy that took effect in April 2025.”
That won’t matter if the goods are held up at U.S. customs for who knows how long.
Right now, it’s like betting the lottery. Yes, some goods are getting through in a reasonable amount of time, but you will be very lucky if your goods are among them. They are not going to resolve this anytime soon.
“Backlogs at processing centers: Major hubs like New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport reported backups of more than a million packages as early as February 2025. The problem has persisted and intensified following the permanent elimination of the de minimis rule.”
“On October 10, 2025, there is a significant backlog of foreign packages at U.S. Customs in New York, primarily caused by recent changes to import rules and an ongoing government shutdown. Packages are experiencing long delays, with some international postal services having temporarily halted shipments to the U.S. entirely.”
Nobody actually knows what the current backlog is, but if it was more than a million packages in February, one can only imagine what it is now.
UPS Published October 10, 2025 2:14pm EDT
UPS may begin disposing of imported packages over customs issues
Shipping giant cites rapidly shifting import rules and documentation requirements under ongoing trade disputes
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I see mixed results for a popular vendor - reports of things getting through, reports of things getting seized and reshipped. The UAE route is taking a while (4 weeks+), but still has good success. If things were bad they would stop offering free reship (some countries do not get that).
The India route opens up again starting Monday.
I had some peptides get stuck in Chicago for a long time, just a customs processing delay. Shipments through Los Angeles and Miami seemed to go through faster.
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Some small items are getting hit with a whopping surcharge.
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The vendor that I have been using in India let me know he is able to send items to me again. However, there is big tariff charge now. A $42 item went up to $87 with shipping and the tariff fee. I got a tracking number. Now just wait and see what happens.
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Please let us know of the outcome, TIA!
Sounds like there is hope all of sudden…
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That’s the quote I’ve been getting. $35 shipping + $20 tariff.
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My go-to guy also says he is shipping Indiapost again. Sanchin, SS Medex.
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I ordered from my IndiaMart guy on Sept 22nd. He said they were shipping through Dubai. He didn’t charge any extra for shipping or tariffs and I didn’t see any tracking information until yesterday. I really thought the order was dead but now it says it went through customs in Dubai and is on its way to New York. Not sure if it will make it through US customs or if I’ll have to pay a duty to release it. I’ll keep you posted.
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Agent Smith, did he mention how he is handling the tariff situation? I did an inquiry with a vendor on IndiaMart about shipping methods and the US tariff situation. His response was that he was shipping through India Post and I would not be hit with any extra tariff charges after he receives payment for goods. Well, I question that because another vendor said he resolved the problem by shipping through Dubai. So, like Desertshores, I’m still waiting for the dust to clear.
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I didn’t ask for details. He has been the most reliable vendor I’ve used, and I’ve used almost all that people mention on this site, so I trust him. He just said the tariff would be small.
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India Post resumed shipping Parcels to USA on Oct 8, but with a value declaration limit of $100 and India Post will collect the US customs based on the content declaration and the sender has to agree that there will be no refund of the postal charge OR customs collected if US customs denies entry of the package for any reason.
It is on an experimental basis to support traditional gift (sweets) shipments during the Diwali holidays, but they are hoping to extend it, if no major issues arise.India Post tentatively resumes package shipment to USA
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Under the now defunct de minimus, 4M parcels a day were entering the US. I’d hazard a guess that 70% to 80% were going through the USPS. Easiest shipping method for a variety of reasons.
Now every parcel is “suspect”, from the contents to the declared value. Declared value will be a trigger for anyone trying to under value what is in the parcel. Because everything now requires an HS code, this code reveals a lot about the contents of the parcel. This was not required under de minimus.
This whole process is to generate revenue and maybe, stop illicit goods or goods that are not approved or goods that are mislabeled.
Re-configuring the US postal service to deal with this is probably going to be one of the roadblocks to speed up small parcel deliveries.
The major courier services have this coverd from a logistics point of view but now more parcels will be getting diverted to secondary inspections and US Customs just does not have the manpower to deal with 4M parcels a day (not tto say 4M will get diverted but that is the NEW pool from which parcels will get diverted) on top of their already heavy inspection load.
This is going to take years to smooth out.
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I guess, if pharma imports from abroad were always a bit of a lottery, now it’s going to be even more so. I do wonder if there’s going to be a database of senders and importers, where Indian pharmcies end up routinely inspected as well as addresses of those to whom these packages are directed. At that point it’s going to be a cat and mouse game of changing addresses and senders. As long as it makes economic sense, one can keep buying and hoping that at least one out of three packages gets delivered.
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Then again, there’s always that vacation to India to see the Taj Mahal, enjoy authentic Indian cuisine, and pick up 2 years of meds on the cheap. The latter would probably pay for the former multiple times!
I have had no problems bringing 600 or so pills into the USA. I’d assume you could bring more. I’ll find out next summer!
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I’ve been buying my Rapa from a pharmacy in Vancouver B.C. who sources it from India along with many other items, it would seem. They had contacted me before I ran low, saying they anticipated there might be difficulties - in Canada - because of US policies - and advised I order then, weeks ago, to secure a “spot”, as it were, in the shipping queue. Nothing has appeared yet, nor do I need it to…
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I just placed a small $119 order. SS Medex offers a number of payment methods, from which I selected Remitly, which offers debit card transactions. The process was very fast and smooth.
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