Deepavali sweets shipments to the U.S. plunge amid hike in tariffs and delivery delays

For the past 14 years, Soundravalli S. has unfailingly placed her bid for accepted Deepavali bakshanams (sweets and savouries) with caterer L.V. Pattapa a period successful advance. When the caterer sets up his Deepavali Mela astatine a wedding hallway successful the city, she visits, packs the sweets and savouries, and couriers them to her daughter’s household successful California. This cherished tradition, however, whitethorn person stalled this year, arsenic Soundravalli is unsure whether the bundle volition scope connected time.

“Such is the concern this twelvemonth for us,” says Balaji Pattappa of Pattapa’s Catering Services, Triplicane. “It is lone during Deepavali that elders successful India instrumentality the clip and effort to nonstop their children’s favourite bakshanams to the U.S. With that impacted this year, we person had to trim our accumulation by astir 30%.”

Deepavali sweets shipments to the U.S. person been importantly affected this twelvemonth pursuing the implementation of caller tariff policies. As a result, shipping costs person risen sharply, and determination person been unexplained delays successful delivery.

“Our traditional bakshanams have a support beingness of 10-14 days. If determination is immoderate further hold successful delivery, it defeats the intent of sending them to families successful the U.S. This seems to beryllium the main crushed down the sizeable simplification successful shipments to the Indian diaspora this year,” says R.K. Venkatesan of Sasta Catering Services, Porur, who has acceptable up a Deepavali Mela astatine Narayani Ammal Kalyana Mandapan successful Mandaveli. “Increased tariffs person discouraged galore of my customers from sending bakshanams to their families successful the U.S., and I person seen a 50% to 70% slump successful shipment from our kitchens,” says Mr. Venkatesan.

Kamesh Sridhar of Arusuvai Catering Services says that determination has been a 25% dip successful the consignments of sweets and savouries sent this year. The superior interest of the customers is the probable hold successful delivery, adjacent if they bash not caput spending more.

“I bash not caput the accrued cost, but americium acrophobic astir the delay,” says A. Prema, whose lad lives successful San Francisco. “My lad and his household sojourn each year, but it has been 2 years since they past came to Chennai. So this year, I decided to nonstop each their favourite sweets and savouries, ignoring the higher outgo and hoping they scope connected time. I person shipped 10 kilograms via DHL and americium keeping my fingers crossed,” says Prema.

D. Saravanan, from the planetary courier and cargo part of DHL, says shipments to the U.S. person been severely affected this twelvemonth owed to the tariffs imposed. “In addition, an exigency concern surcharge (ESS) of ₹150 per kilogram connected shipments from India has further added to the burden. While consignments are reaching the U.S. wrong 4 oregon 5 days, recipients determination besides person to wage import duties earlier collecting the sweets. As a result, we person seen astir a 90% driblet successful shipments. However, immoderate families are inactive choosing to nonstop packages to their loved ones,” helium says.

Shipments to different countries, however, proceed to determination smoothly without immoderate large disruption.

L.N. Srinivasan, proprietor of LVN Catering Services, Mylapore, notes that immoderate of his regular customers who send bakshanams abroad person inactive gone up with their orders, and the shipments person reached their destinations wrong 4 days. “My customers are not deterred by the cost; their main interest is whether the transportation volition beryllium delayed oregon impounded,” helium says.

Despite the challenges, families proceed to find ways to support the festive tone alive. For now, galore families are choosing to observe Deepavali with calls and video chats alternatively of couriered sweets.