To import from India to the USA, you classify your product, find and verify a supplier, check agency rules such as FDA or CPSC, arrange a customs bond and broker, file the importer security filing before the vessel loads, and pay duty on arrival. The tariff step is the one to check last and most carefully, because US measures on Indian goods have changed several times since 2025.
This is general guidance as of October 2026, not legal advice. Your licensed customs broker confirms the rules for your product.
Step 1: Classify the product and check the duty
Every product has a Harmonized Tariff Schedule code that decides duty and which agencies are involved. Ask a broker for the code and the current duty, including any additional measures. Do not rely on a figure you saw months ago. See how to check import duty on Indian chemicals for the method, which applies to other goods too.
Step 2: Importer of record, bond and broker
The importer of record is legally responsible for the entry. You generally need a US tax identification number and a customs bond, and most importers appoint a licensed customs broker to file through CBP's systems. Ask your broker which bond type suits your volume.
Step 3: Check agency rules
- Food: FDA facility registration, prior notice and the importer's supplier verification duties. See how to import food products from India to the USA and UK.
- Children's products: testing and certificates under US safety rules. See CPSIA for children's textiles.
- Textiles and apparel: fibre content, care and origin labelling. See importing fabric and garments from India to the US.
- Machinery and metal goods: check duty measures. See importing machinery into the US.
Step 4: Find, verify and test
Find a manufacturer, not a trader, audit it and test samples. Choose shipping terms deliberately; FOB, CIF or DAP explains them.
Step 5: Ship and file
For ocean cargo, the importer security filing must generally be submitted before the cargo is loaded at the foreign port, so your supplier and forwarder need to give your broker accurate data early. The entry is then filed and duty paid. Goods held for documents or testing can cost storage fees; see what happens if a shipment is detained.
Common mistakes on Indian imports into the USA
The first is quoting your customer before the broker has confirmed duty. The second is assuming the factory's certificate meets US rules. The third is skipping the supplier's records for food, which you may need to show. The fourth is a late or wrong importer security filing, which can bring penalties. Give your broker the exact goods description, supplier name and address, and container details early.
A realistic timeline for a first order
Allow time for classification and broker setup, then supplier search, audit and sampling, then production, inspection, loading and sea freight. A US importer should also allow for the possibility that CBP or the FDA examines the cargo. Build slack into your own delivery promises, and keep inspection and test records for as long as your broker advises.
What to send a supplier or agent first
Send your specification, the HTS code from your broker, quantity, labelling requirements and delivery date. Tell the supplier you will test and inspect, and ask for their export registrations. A clear brief reduces the back-and-forth on documents that can delay the importer security filing.
What to keep for your records
Keep entry documents, invoices, supplier records, test reports and inspection reports for as long as your broker advises. US authorities can ask for them after the goods are cleared.
A decision rule on tariffs
If the duty is uncertain, do not fix your selling price until the broker confirms it. Either ask the supplier to quote on terms that let you compare landed cost, or place a smaller first order while the position settles. The extra weeks cost less than being locked into a margin the tariff has erased.
Where an agent fits
An agent helps on the Indian side: finding and auditing factories, checking samples and documents, having lots tested, and supervising production and loading. They cannot be your importer of record or broker. We work across India and arrange audits and inspections where the supplier is. You pay the factory directly, and we take nothing from factories. To start, book a free sourcing review.