Importing handmade rugs from India to Germany

General information, not legal or customs advice. This page summarises public official sources we opened on 31 October 2026. Tariffs, taxes and product rules change. Your customs broker or compliance adviser decides the classification, duty and labelling for your shipment.

The EU tariff is built on the Harmonized System, so Germany uses the same headings as the rest of the EU (WCO HS Nomenclature 2022, Chapter 57, 31 October 2026):

Look up the full code for your rug in TARIC, the EU tariff database. Your customs broker decides the code. See the EU guide for the shared EU points.

Duty rates. We do not quote a rate. Rates depend on the code and origin and change, so check TARIC for your exact code.

As standard we provide the commercial invoice, packing list, Certificate of Origin. We do not issue a phytosanitary certificate; a buyer who needs one for jute or seagrass should check the destination's rules with their broker. Additional compliance declarations and material-composition documents are prepared based on your market and requirements. We confirm the full document set for your order before production begins. See export and logistics and our standards.

We do not issue fire-test, flammability or other test certificates unless they are arranged for a specific order and confirmed on your quote.

Two EU rules to raise with your adviser: Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 on textile fibre names and labelling and Regulation (EU) 2023/988, the General Product Safety Regulation. Search results from EUR-Lex and the Commission describe the GPSR as applying since 13 December 2024 and as requiring an EU-based economic operator, such as an importer, to be responsible for safety information on products sold in the EU (31 October 2026). We did not read the full legal text, so we do not say what either rule requires of a rug, or whether a rug falls inside them. Ask your adviser.

German-language or other label wording is not something we have verified from an official source; confirm what your sales channel needs.

On request from us: your own woven or sewn-in label, a barcode or QR sticker (you supply the numbers), your own packaging or polybag, and country of origin and fibre content on the label. See OEM and private label.

German customs says all goods for commercial purposes must be declared with an electronic customs declaration, and that import VAT (Einfuhrumsatzsteuer, EUSt) is payable on all goods imported into the EU. It names ATLAS-IMPOST as the application for companies established in the EU to lodge declarations (Zoll, import process, 31 October 2026). That page is written for small consignments, so for a container ask your customs broker how the full declaration is filed. It did not mention EORI, so check that requirement with Zoll or your broker.

For trade orders the buyer is the importer of record. We state no duty or VAT figure; your broker confirms them. For RS Living retail orders, duties and taxes, if any, are paid by the customer on delivery; see shipping to the European Union.

The usual default for this route is FOB Nhava Sheva (JNPT, Mumbai). Under FOB we clear the goods for export and load them on board at the Indian port; from that point cost and risk pass to you, and you arrange the ocean freight, destination clearance and delivery. We work to all Incoterms 2020 terms, and the term, named place and cost breakdown are confirmed on your quote before production. See export and logistics for the full list.

Retail orders are different. For orders placed through RS Living shipping to the European Union, import duties and taxes, if any, are paid by the customer to the carrier or customs on delivery, and RS Living does not collect or refund them.

1. NDA and brief. We sign an NDA as standard before designs are shared, then you send construction, material, size and quantity.
2. Sample. 5 to 20 days. The sampling cost is credited against your order. See the sampling process.
3. Approval and PO. The approved sample becomes the reference for bulk. Label, barcode or QR sticker and packaging choices are confirmed here (OEM and private label).
4. Bulk production. 8 to 16 weeks.
5. Export documents and loading. We prepare the document set and clear the goods for export at Nhava Sheva under FOB.
6. Ocean freight and import clearance. Arranged by you or your forwarder and broker. Transit time depends on the carrier and service you book.
7. Air freight. Air freight for samples and urgent small orders is typically around Rs 1,000 per kg door to door (indicative, owner estimate; varies by route, weight and season).

Constructions and materials are listed in rug specifications. For ordering see how to order and wholesale rugs. New to importing? Read how to start a rug brand.

Archived with a DOI: Importing handmade rugs from India: HS headings 5701, 5702, 5703 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0).

Core references: OEM and private label, rug specifications, how to order, wholesale rugs and the sample program.

See also: Export and logistics · OEM and private label · Rug specifications · Rug sampling process · Wholesale rugs · Importing to the USA · Importing to the UK · Importing to the EU · Importing to France · Importing to Canada · Importing to Australia · Importing to the UAE · Sea freight transit finder · Container loading calculator · Rug trade data · How to export rugs from India · Carpet exporters from India: buyer guide