There is no single U.S. import-duty rate for goods from India. To estimate what a shipment will cost at the buyer’s U.S. delivery point, first identify the product’s correct U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) classification, check the tariff provisions effective on the entry date, and establish the customs value. Then add applicable customs fees, taxes, freight, insurance, brokerage, handling, and other delivery costs. The result is a shipment-specific estimate—not a rate you can determine from “India” alone.
What is U.S. import duty from India?
It depends on the product, its U.S. HTS classification, its actual country of origin, and the provisions in effect when it enters the United States. The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) publishes the HTS, while U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) administers the schedule and processes import entries. CBP describes the HTS as the authoritative compilation of the tariff and statistical provisions for goods in trade. Start with the current USITC HTS, then confirm the relevant provisions for the shipment’s entry date.
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A product from India may have a general tariff rate and could also be affected by additional duties, exceptions, exclusions, or other special provisions. Do not assume that a search result or a rate quoted for another product—or from an older ruling—applies to your goods. The USITC’s India-related additional-duty search result, for example, surfaces provisions and exceptions that must be checked against the item and the date of entry. It is not a blanket rate for all Indian exports.
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Describe the product before searching
Gather facts that distinguish the item from similar products: what it is, what materials it contains, how it is made, how it functions, and its intended use. For composite or multifunctional products, record the relevant components and their roles. A broad commercial label such as “textile,” “machine part,” or “gift item” is not enough to settle a tariff classification.
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Search beyond the six-digit HS code
The first six digits of the international Harmonized System are shared across countries, but the U.S. import classification continues beyond those digits. A six-digit HS code used on an Indian export document can help orient a search; it is not necessarily the complete U.S. HTS number or a final U.S. classification. The U.S. import schedule is the HTS. Schedule B, by contrast, is used for U.S. exports. Trade.gov explains the distinction in its guidance on Harmonized System (HS) codes.
Use the HTS search to locate candidate provisions, then read the full tariff text, including the applicable section and chapter notes. Check for relevant Chapter 99 provisions as well as the ordinary classification. A search result alone does not establish that a code fits a particular item; the product facts and legal text matter.
Resolve close or consequential classifications
If two headings appear plausible, or the duty difference could materially affect pricing, do not choose a code solely because it produces the preferred rate. Trade.gov points users to CROSS, CBP’s rulings database, for official, legally binding classification rulings. A customs broker or tariff-classification specialist can help assess the product facts and tariff text. For a significant unresolved question, seek a CBP ruling rather than treating an estimate as a confirmed classification.
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How to calculate U.S. import duty from India
- Record the product facts. Write down the product description, materials, construction or manufacturing details, and intended use. Keep supporting specifications and product literature available for classification review.
- Identify the complete U.S. HTS classification. Search the live USITC schedule, confirm the code beyond the six-digit HS level, and read the relevant notes and any applicable Chapter 99 provisions. Record the schedule revision and the date checked.
- Confirm origin and entry date. Use the product’s actual country of origin, not simply the country from which it ships. Check the tariff provisions effective on the expected U.S. entry date, including applicable general rates, additional duties, exceptions, or exclusions.
- Determine the customs-value basis. Establish the transaction value where applicable and check whether any required additions change the amount used for duty. Convert foreign-currency amounts to U.S. dollars for invoices and entry documents.
- Apply the tariff’s calculation method. For an ad valorem rate, multiply the applicable rate by the correct customs-value base. If the HTS provision uses a specific duty based on quantity, or a compound formula that combines methods, calculate it using the units and terms in the tariff text instead.
- Add applicable fees and taxes. Determine the entry type and transport mode, then check the current CBP fee rules and any commodity-specific federal taxes. Do not assume that one fee treatment applies to every shipment.
- Add delivery costs without double counting. Include freight, insurance, brokerage, handling, inland transport, and other costs required to reach the agreed delivery point. Check whether any of those charges already appear in the product price or a carrier quote.
- Date and qualify the estimate. State the classification used, origin assumption, customs-value basis, tariff provisions checked, date checked, delivery and freight assumptions, entry type, fee assumptions, and charges that remain unconfirmed.
What value is used to calculate duty?
Customs value is not automatically the same as the product’s eventual U.S. resale price or the full delivered price. CBP says the commercial invoice should reflect the price the U.S. buyer paid for the goods, rather than the later resale price. Where transaction value applies, the price paid or payable is the starting point, subject to any required valuation adjustments.
Depending on the transaction, additions may include selling commissions, assists, royalties, production costs, packing, or proceeds. Review which items apply to the sale rather than assuming the invoice subtotal is always the final customs value. CBP’s guidance on the value to show on a commercial invoice describes the invoice-value question, and its guidance on cost, insurance, and freight (CIF) addresses the treatment of freight and insurance.
Freight and insurance are generally excluded from the price-paid duty basis unless another measure applies. That distinction is important: they may still be part of the buyer’s landed cost even when they are not part of the customs-value base for an ad valorem duty calculation. Keep the customs-value calculation separate from the delivered-cost calculation.
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How to calculate landed cost
Landed cost is the total cost of the product once it reaches the buyer’s agreed delivery point. Trade.gov’s total export price guidance includes product price, insurance, freight, tariffs and taxes, and other fees in the estimate. For a U.S. import, the exact items depend on the shipment, delivery arrangement, entry type, and commodity.
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For a product subject to an ad valorem duty, use this framework:
Estimated duty = customs value (V) × applicable ad valorem rate (r)
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Estimated landed cost = product price + freight (F) + insurance (I) + duty + MPF + applicable HMF + other commodity taxes (T) + other shipment costs (O)
This is a framework, not a rate quote. Replace the simple duty calculation if the tariff is specific or compound, valuation adjustments apply, or shipment-specific rules change a fee calculation. The invoice’s commercial price and the customs value may not be identical, so document how each figure was derived. If freight or insurance is already included in a quoted price, do not add it again.
Which U.S. import fees should you budget for?
Duty is only one possible government charge. CBP’s fee guidance gives the following fiscal-year 2026 figures; applicability depends on entry and shipment details. Recheck the live guidance before issuing a quote or filing an entry.
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| Fee or charge | Published amount or basis | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Formal-entry Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) | 0.3464% of merchandise value, excluding duty, freight, and insurance; $33.58 minimum and $651.50 maximum for fiscal year 2026. A $4.03 manual-filing surcharge may apply. | Confirm formal-entry treatment, the fee base, the current fiscal-year limits, and whether manual filing applies. CBP MPF guidance. |
| Informal-entry MPF | $2.69, $8.06, or $12.09 under CBP’s 2026 guidance; the applicable amount varies by entry and shipment. | Verify which amount applies to the actual entry rather than assuming the lowest figure. CBP MPF guidance. |
| Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF) | 0.125% on qualifying commercial cargo shipped through identified ports, under CBP’s 2026 guidance. | Check the port and transport mode. CBP says HMF is not collected on air or mailed cargo. CBP duty, taxes, and fee guidance. |
| Other commodity taxes | Depends on the commodity; no general amount applies. | Check whether the product is subject to a federal tax beyond tariff duty. State and local taxes are separate from CBP collection. CBP duty, taxes, and fee guidance. |
These figures are not a universal landed-cost estimate. Fees can differ with entry type and mode, and a shipment may have charges not listed here, including brokerage, handling, or inland delivery. Use the applicable current fee rules and the actual service quotes for the shipment.
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Air, ocean, and postal shipments do not necessarily receive the same fee treatment. In particular, the HMF treatment described above applies to qualifying commercial cargo through identified ports, not air or mailed cargo. Entry type also matters: formal and informal entries can have different MPF treatment. Confirm the likely entry and transport details with the party handling the import before finalizing the estimate.
The agreed delivery point determines which transport and handling costs belong in the buyer-facing total. List the charges covered by the seller’s quote and those still payable separately, such as freight, insurance, brokerage, or inland transport. This prevents a low product-only price from being mistaken for a delivered price and avoids adding a cost twice.
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How to present a defensible quote to a U.S. buyer
A landed-cost estimate can be provided to a foreign buyer on a pro forma invoice, as Trade.gov notes. The invoice or attached calculation should make assumptions visible so a buyer can distinguish a confirmed tariff determination from a planning estimate.
- Product description and materials or construction details used for classification.
- Complete U.S. HTS code, tariff method, and the date and schedule revision checked.
- Country-of-origin assumption and any applicable additional-duty provision, exception, or exclusion reviewed.
- Invoice price, customs-value basis, currency conversion, and any valuation additions considered.
- Separate line items for product price, freight, insurance, duty, MPF, applicable HMF, commodity taxes, brokerage, handling, and inland transport.
- Shipment mode, expected entry type, agreed delivery point, and charges not yet confirmed.
Label the figure as an estimate if classification, entry date, freight quote, or fee applicability is not final. Recheck tariff provisions and fees close to shipment; a quote based on an earlier HTS revision or fee schedule may no longer reflect the entry-date rules.
Quick Recap
Common mistakes that distort duty and landed-cost estimates
- Using only the six-digit HS code: it is a useful international starting point, not the complete U.S. import classification.
- Applying one “India rate” to every product: duty depends on classification and provisions applicable to the goods and entry date.
- Using shipping country as origin without checking: the applicable origin is the product’s actual country of origin, not necessarily the last country it shipped from.
- Calculating duty on the resale price or full delivered total: establish the customs-value basis separately and account for applicable additions.
- Omitting government fees: include MPF and, where applicable, HMF and commodity taxes, using the correct entry and shipment treatment.
- Adding freight or insurance twice: reconcile the commercial price, invoice, and logistics quote before totaling costs.
- Quoting an old tariff or fee figure as current: check the live HTS revision and CBP fee guidance for the expected entry date.
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