Sending a package to Russia from the United States is still possible, but only through specialized third-party forwarders, and only if what you’re shipping and who you’re shipping it to both clear U.S. sanctions law. Every major American carrier stopped service to Russia in early 2022 and has not resumed it, and federal export controls now prohibit a long list of goods with penalties reaching $1,000,000 in fines and 20 years in prison for willful violations.
Why USPS, FedEx, and DHL Won’t Take It
The United States Postal Service suspended all international mail to Russia on March 11, 2022, citing unavailable transportation, and that suspension is still in place as of early 2026.1About.usps.com. International Service Disruptions – Russia FedEx suspended all services to, from, and within Russia and Belarus around the same time. DHL Express halted shipments to Russia as well, initially cutting off non-document shipments to individuals while maintaining limited service for business entities under existing contracts. None of these carriers have announced a return to general consumer service.
You cannot walk into a post office or a FedEx counter and ship to a Russian address today. The direct pipeline most Americans used before 2022 does not exist right now.
What U.S. Sanctions Prohibit You From Shipping
Even if you locate a carrier, federal export controls limit what can legally leave the country bound for Russia. The restrictions fall into two categories that catch far more everyday items than people expect.
Luxury Goods
The Bureau of Industry and Security prohibits exporting luxury goods to Russia and Belarus. Most items on the list require a license that BIS will almost certainly deny.2U.S. Department of Commerce. Commerce Restricts the Export of Luxury Goods to Russia and Belarus and to Russian and Belarusian Oligarchs and Malign Actors in Latest Response to Aggression Against Ukraine The restricted categories include beer, wine, spirits, and tobacco products; cosmetics, skin care, and perfumes; clothing and footwear valued over $1,000 per unit at U.S. wholesale price; handbags, furs, and jewelry made with precious metals or stones; vehicles including snowmobiles and recreational vehicles; and antiques over 100 years old.
The $1,000 threshold applies only to apparel and footwear. Alcohol, tobacco, cosmetics, and jewelry have no minimum value, so any amount is restricted.3Federal Register. Imposition of Sanctions on Luxury Goods Destined for Russia and Belarus and for Russian and Belarusian Oligarchs and Malign Actors Under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) A bottle of wine or a bottle of perfume sent as a gift falls squarely within the ban.
Dual-Use and Industrial Technology
The second category is broader. Under the Export Administration Regulations, BIS maintains an extensive list of products with potential industrial or military applications that cannot be exported to Russia, spanning hundreds of tariff codes.4eCFR. Supplement No. 4 to Part 746 – Russian and Belarusian Industry Sector Sanctions Controlled items include laptops, desktops, and other computers and processors; smartphones, cell phones, base stations, and routing equipment; semiconductors, integrated circuits, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment; and burglar alarms, fire alarms, and other security and surveillance equipment.
The list also reaches components, parts, and accessories for any controlled item. A replacement laptop charger or a phone screen for a family member in Russia could trigger these controls. “I didn’t know it was on the list” is not a defense.
What Russian Customs Blocks on Their End
Separate from U.S. sanctions, Russia’s own postal rules prohibit importing certain items no matter where they come from. Russian customs will seize packages containing firearms or weapons of any type, including pneumatic and gas weapons; narcotics and psychotropic substances; radioactive or explosive materials; poisonous animals or plants; Russian or foreign currency in cash form; and perishable food or beverages. Packaging that could damage other mail or endanger postal workers is also barred.
The Russian list adds items that U.S. sanctions don’t specifically address, like cash and perishable food. Homemade baked goods and snacks are the kinds of gifts that fail on the Russian end even when U.S. law wouldn’t stop them.
Screening the Recipient Against the SDN List
Before you send anything, confirm the recipient is not on the Treasury Department’s Specially Designated Nationals list. U.S. law prohibits providing funds, goods, or services to any person whose property is blocked under the Russia/Ukraine sanctions program.5eCFR. 31 CFR Part 589 – Ukraine-/Russia-Related Sanctions Regulations A package to a blocked person counts as providing goods to them.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control provides a free search tool that checks names against the SDN list and other consolidated sanctions lists, with fuzzy matching that catches variations in transliterated Russian names.6Office of Foreign Assets Control. Sanctions List Search Tool Run the recipient’s full name before shipping. If you get a potential match, hold the package until you can confirm the person is not the listed individual. The SDN list contains thousands of Russian individuals and entities, and this step is not optional.
Third-Party Forwarders Are the Remaining Path
With the major carriers out, the practical options are specialized freight forwarders and third-party logistics companies that consolidate packages and route them through intermediary countries that still maintain postal or freight links with Russia.
These services carry significant caveats. Transit times run in weeks rather than days. Tracking may be limited or go dark once the package crosses into Russia. Costs run substantially higher than pre-2022 rates because of the indirect routing. And using a forwarder does not exempt you from U.S. export controls: you remain legally responsible for the contents complying with sanctions and for the recipient not being a blocked person.
Before booking anything, verify that the company handles the type of goods you want to send, confirm current transit times and insurance coverage, and get the restrictions in writing. Availability shifts month to month, and a company shipping to Russia in one month may suspend service the next.
Penalties If You Get It Wrong
This is where people run into real trouble. Sending prohibited items to Russia is not a warning-letter situation. The International Emergency Economic Powers Act sets civil penalties up to $377,700 per violation, or twice the value of the transaction, whichever is greater.5eCFR. 31 CFR Part 589 – Ukraine-/Russia-Related Sanctions Regulations A willful violation can bring criminal fines up to $1,000,000 and imprisonment for up to 20 years.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 50 USC 1705 – Penalties
The civil penalty applies without intent. An accidental shipment of a controlled item can still draw a six-figure fine. Criminal prosecution requires willfulness, but that includes situations where you should have known the shipment violated the rules, and given how widely publicized the sanctions regime is, an ignorance argument gets harder every year.
Customs Forms, Duties, and Timing
Any international shipment needs a customs declaration. Postal systems use the CN22 form for lower-value packages and the more detailed CN23 above 300 Special Drawing Rights, an IMF-defined currency unit that currently works out to roughly $400. Both forms ask for a description of every item, quantity and weight, declared value, country of origin for each item, and a Harmonized System code that classifies the product for customs purposes.8International Trade Administration. Harmonized System (HS) Codes The U.S. International Trade Commission runs a searchable database if you aren’t sure which code applies.9U.S International Trade Commission. Harmonized Tariff Schedule Include full names, addresses, and phone numbers for sender and recipient; incomplete recipient details are one of the most common reasons packages get held at Russian customs indefinitely.
On the Russian side, the Eurasian Economic Union sets a duty-free threshold of €200 for personal international parcels. Packages above that value face a 5% customs duty on the purchase price plus applicable VAT, with a minimum of €1 per kilogram.10Eurasian Economic Commission. EEC Council Approves Duty-Free Import Threshold and Customs Duty Rates Russia’s standard VAT rate is 20%. The threshold applies to the declared value of the contents, not the shipping cost, and once you cross it, duty is owed on the full value rather than only the amount above €200. Tell your recipient in advance so a customs bill isn’t a surprise.
Expect transit times of two to six weeks depending on the route, with Russian customs processing adding more time on the back end. Tracking updates get inconsistent once the package moves from the forwarder’s handoff into the Russian postal system. Customs may inspect, cross-check contents against the declaration, seize or return packages with undeclared items, or hold the package pending payment of duties. Holds can last weeks, and there is no reliable way to speed them up from the U.S. side. Setting honest expectations with your recipient about both timing and possible costs is the best thing you can do before the package leaves your hands.