Sourcing Route · 🇮🇳 → 🇺🇸
India to US — Import Duty & Landed Cost
No Section 301 lists from India — but GSP is gone, US tariff rates have moved with every round of US–India trade talks, and anti-dumping orders cover specific products. The only safe way to quote: model the current stack for your exact HS code.
India's strongest categories into the US
Pharmaceuticals & APIs
0% MFN
World's generics leader. FDA facility registration is the gate, not duty.
Gems & Jewelry
0–11% MFN
Loose diamonds 0%; finished jewelry 5–7% precious / 11% imitation.
Cotton Textiles & Apparel
8–16.5%
Strong vertical integration from cotton to garment.
Leather Goods & Footwear
8.5–10%
Traditional strength; competitive vs China's 16–17.5% combined.
Auto Components
0–2.5% + S232
Fast-growing; Section 232 auto parts tariff applies to covered codes.
Electronics Assembly
0% mostly
iPhone-led ramp; ecosystem younger than China/Vietnam.
India→US imports — FAQs
India-origin goods pay the MFN rate for their HS code plus the 10% forced-labor Section 301 tariff (India is in the 10% tier since 24 July 2026) — no China-style Section 301 list duty. Typical totals: cotton apparel 26.5%, leather footwear 18.5–20%, jewelry 15–21%, generic pharmaceuticals 0% (exempt), machined parts 10–14.4%. Steel and aluminum pay 50% under Section 232 instead.
Yes — the US removed India from the GSP program in 2019, so the duty-free preference on eligible categories ended. India-origin goods now pay full MFN rates plus the 10% forced-labor tariff. A US–India trade deal has been under negotiation; rates can change with each announcement.
Pharmaceuticals and APIs (world leader in generics), gems & jewelry (Surat processes most of the world's diamonds), cotton textiles and apparel, leather goods, machined and forged components, chemicals, and increasingly electronics assembly (iPhone production). Engineering goods and auto components are the fastest-growing categories.
On duty: usually equal or better (no Section 301). On unit economics: India wins in textiles, leather, jewelry and pharma; China retains advantages in electronics supply chains and tooling speed. Freight from Nhava Sheva/Mundra runs slightly longer to US East Coast than China to West Coast. Run both origins in the calculator.
Standard import rules apply by product (FDA for pharma/food, CPSC for children's goods, FCC for electronics). India-specific watch-outs: anti-dumping orders exist on some Indian steel, shrimp and chemical products; quality variance across suppliers is wider than China's mature export base — third-party inspection is standard practice.
Quote with the current tariff stack, not last quarter's
The reciprocal-tariff era ended in February 2026 and the Section 122 surcharge expired in July — India now pays the 10% forced-labor Section 301 tariff. The calculator applies the current stack — MFN + 10% + MPF/HMF + freight — per scenario.