Importing Handmade Rugs from India to the USA: A Buyer's Guide

Importing handmade rugs from India into the USA is a documentation exercise as much as a buying one. The rugs are made in the Bhadohi to Mirzapur carpet belt, shipped under an Incoterm you agree with the supplier, and cleared by your own customs broker, who is the right person to confirm the current rules, rates and labelling for your product.

Carpets and other textile floor coverings sit in Chapter 57 of the Harmonised System, and the heading follows construction: 5701 for knotted, 5702 for woven, 5703 for tufted. Ask your broker to confirm the exact code for your product before the first order, and keep it consistent on every invoice.

Ask your broker how fibre content and country of origin must be marked on the product for the US market, and how the shipment will be entered.

For tariff codes and how duty is worked out, see import duty on handmade rugs, HS 5701, 5702 and 5703.

The sequence is the same for every market. Sampling and strike-off typically take 25 to 35 days from an approved design and specification. After you approve the sample and issue a purchase order, bulk production starts from 60 days, depending on order size, construction and current production load. Shipping time is on top, and depends on the route and the Incoterm.

There is no fixed minimum order, so a first order can be a trial quantity rather than a full container. See how to order for the six steps.

For the USA and Western Europe we recommend Nhava Sheva (JNPT) in Mumbai, which carries the highest frequency of direct container services on those routes. All major Incoterms 2020 terms are available, including EXW, FOB, CFR, CIF, CPT, CIP, DAP and DDP, arranged as per buyer requirement. The term is agreed when the purchase order is confirmed.

Standard documents are the commercial invoice, packing list, Certificate of Origin and phytosanitary documentation where the destination requires it. Further compliance paperwork is prepared against your market and buyer requirements; we confirm the full set for your order before production begins. Details on export and logistics.

Raheem and Son is a CEPC-registered export house, and CEPC registration is the only credential it currently holds. A Four-Star Category Certificate was awarded in 2009 by the Directorate of Industries, Government of Uttar Pradesh; it is a historic award that lapsed in 2011, not a current certificate. No in-date third-party product certificate is held as a standing document. Other certifications and audits are arranged on request for qualifying programmes, and we say so in writing before an order, not after.

Duty rates change. This guide quotes none; check current rates and any labelling rules with your customs broker before you commit.