Importing garments from India to the USA means classifying each style under an HTS code, paying the MFN duty plus any additional tariff in force on the day of entry, and clearing customs with a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and customs bond. Rates change often, so confirm before you order.
This guide is written for sourcing managers and buyers at US brands who are evaluating India for the first time, or who have sourced there before and want a current view of duty, documentation and compliance. Every number below is dated and linked to its source. Tariff policy has moved several times in the last eighteen months, so treat rates as a snapshot, not a constant.
Why source apparel from India rather than another country?
India is a fiber-to-finished-garment economy. Cotton is grown, ginned, spun, knitted or woven, dyed, cut and sewn inside the same country, which means a US buyer can often trace a garment back to raw material without crossing a border. That matters more now than it did five years ago, for reasons covered in the compliance section below.
Scale is not in question. India’s textile exports including handicrafts reached Rs 3,16,334.9 crore in FY 2025 to 2026, up 2.1 percent on the prior year, with ready-made garments at Rs 1,39,349.6 crore, up 2.9 percent, according to the Ministry of Textiles via the Press Information Bureau (23 April 2026).
There is also a tariff angle. Under the Section 301 forced-labor action that took effect on 24 July 2026, the US Trade Representative placed India in the 10 percent tier, alongside Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, while “all other investigated economies” were set at 12.5 percent. That gap is a policy decision, not a permanent feature, and it is being litigated.
For a wider view of the supplier landscape, see our guide to garment manufacturers in India.
What duty do I pay importing clothing from India to the US?
You pay two things stacked together: the general (MFN) rate for your garment’s HTS code, plus any additional tariff in force on the date of entry.
The MFN rates are stable and published in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule maintained by the US International Trade Commission. Checked on 22 September 2026:
- Cotton knit t-shirts, singlets and tank tops (HTS 6109.10.00): 16.5 percent
- Men’s and boys’ cotton woven shirts, other (HTS 6205.20.20): 19.7 percent
- Man-made fiber sweaters and pullovers, other (HTS 6110.30.30): 32 percent
The additional tariff is the volatile part. As of 22 September 2026, goods of India entering the US carry a 10 percent Section 301 duty, imposed by USTR in its forced-labor investigations and effective from 12:01 a.m. Eastern on 24 July 2026, with the final action published in the Federal Register on 28 July 2026.
That 10 percent replaced a sequence of earlier measures. The IEEPA reciprocal tariffs were struck down by the Supreme Court in February 2026. A temporary Section 122 surcharge of 10 percent ran from 24 February 2026 until it expired by operation of law on 24 July 2026, its 150-day statutory limit. The 18 percent figure widely reported after the United States and India announced a trade framework on 6 February 2026 was tied to the IEEPA authority that no longer stands. If you read that number in an older article, it is out of date.
The current 10 percent is itself under challenge. Twenty-five state attorneys general filed at the Court of International Trade on 3 August 2026, joining importer suits already consolidated there. A ruling could change or refund what you pay.
On top of duty you also pay user fees. The merchandise processing fee on a formal entry is 0.3464 percent of entered value under 19 CFR 24.23, with FY 2026 limits of $33.58 minimum and $651.50 maximum, adjusted annually. Ocean cargo also pays a harbor maintenance fee of 0.125 percent of value, with no cap.
Do not budget from this article. Get your styles classified by a licensed customs broker, then confirm the landed rate against the current HTS and the CBP CSMS bulletins on the day you place the order and again before the vessel loads.
One more change to note: the $800 de minimis exemption is gone. CBP issued interim final rules on 24 June 2026 indefinitely suspending de minimis for all modes of importation, and the statutory exemption is repealed from 1 July 2027. Small parcel sampling programs that used to arrive duty-free now need a proper entry.
How do I run the import process end to end?
- Qualify the factory. Confirm product capability, capacity, compliance certifications and references before discussing price. Our guide on how to choose the right garment manufacturer for your brand sets out the questions worth asking.
- Classify the product. Give your customs broker the exact fiber content, construction (knit, woven, flat-knit), gender and garment type. Classification drives duty, and a wrong code is your liability, not the factory’s.
- Agree terms in writing. Incoterms, payment terms, quality tolerances, inspection rights, delivery window and penalties for late shipment. FOB and CIF shift cost and risk in different places.
- Approve samples. Proto, fit, size set, then a sealed pre-production sample. Nothing goes into bulk until the seal is signed by both sides.
- Book the freight and file early. For ocean shipments the Importer Security Filing must reach CBP no later than 24 hours before the cargo is loaded on the vessel. Late or inaccurate filings draw liquidated damages of $5,000 per violation, per CBP’s 10+2 guidance.
- Inspect before shipment. A third-party inspection at 80 percent packed is cheaper than a recall in your warehouse.
- Clear customs. Your broker files the entry using the commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading, and posts the customs bond. A bond is required for commercial shipments valued above $2,500.
- Pay, receive, reconcile. Check the entry summary against what you were quoted, and keep the records. CBP can review entries long after delivery.
What documents do I need to import apparel from India?
At minimum: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill, Importer Security Filing for ocean freight, customs bond, and a power of attorney for your broker. Invoice content requirements are set out in 19 CFR Part 141 Subpart F.
Two document sets are specific to apparel.
Country of origin for most garments follows 19 CFR 102.21. For a garment that is not knit to shape, origin is the country where it was wholly assembled. Minor attachments such as buttons, embroidery, collars and pockets do not change that.
Labeling is regulated by the FTC, not CBP. Every garment needs fiber content by generic name and percentage, country of origin, and either the marketing company’s name or its RN, under the Textile Products Identification Act rules. RNs are issued only to US firms, so this is usually your responsibility to specify, not the factory’s to guess.
How long does production and shipping take?
Treat lead time as four separate clocks, not one number: sampling and approval, fabric and trim procurement, production and finishing, then transit and clearance. Fabric is usually the longest pole, especially for dyed-to-match or specialty constructions.
Transit varies by port pair, carrier rotation and season, and ocean is materially slower than air. Ask your forwarder for a current sailing schedule for the specific lane rather than working from a rule of thumb, and add buffer for customs examination, which is not scheduled and not optional.
What compliance and social audits do US retailers expect?
Most US retailers require a valid third-party social compliance audit before they will place an order, and many require it to be renewed annually. The common frameworks in apparel are WRAP, Sedex SMETA, amfori BSCI and SA8000, plus material certifications such as GOTS or OEKO-TEX where the claim is on the product.
The bigger issue right now is forced labor. Cotton is a CBP priority commodity under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. If a shipment is detained, the importer receives a Notice of Detention on CBP Form 4647 and must produce clear and convincing evidence that no forced labor was involved, tracing the supply chain back to the raw fiber. CBP’s enforcement FAQs set out what that evidence looks like.
This is why traceability paperwork should be part of your supplier qualification, not something you request after a container is held. Ask for the bale, yarn and fabric records before the first order, not during the first detention.
If sustainability claims are part of your brief, our page on sustainable apparel production covers what is verifiable and what is marketing.
How do I run a first order safely?
Start small and structured. Place a trial order at a volume you can afford to write off, on a style that represents your real technical requirements rather than your easiest one. Pay against documents, not on trust, and keep a holdback tied to the inspection result.
Put quality standards in writing before production, with an agreed AQL and named inspection body. Visit if you can, or send a third party who will. Then debrief honestly: on-time performance, defect rate, responsiveness to a problem, and accuracy of the paperwork that reached your broker. Those four things predict the second order better than the price did.
FAQ
1. What is the current tariff on garments from India to the US?
As of 22 September 2026, the MFN rate for your HTS code plus a 10 percent Section 301 duty on goods of India, effective 24 July 2026. The Section 301 measure is being challenged in the Court of International Trade, so verify before every order.
2. Which HTS code applies to my product?
It depends on fiber content, construction and garment type. A cotton knit t-shirt sits at 6109.10.00 and a man-made fiber pullover at 6110.30.30, and those two carry very different rates. Have a licensed customs broker classify each style.
3. Do I still get the $800 de minimis exemption on samples?
No. CBP indefinitely suspended de minimis for all modes of importation on 24 June 2026, and the statutory exemption is repealed from 1 July 2027. Samples now need a formal or informal entry.
4. Who pays the duty, me or the factory?
The importer of record pays. Under most terms that is the US buyer. Incoterms decide who pays freight and insurance, not who owes US customs duty.
5. Do I need a customs bond?
Yes, for commercial shipments valued above $2,500. A single-entry bond works for a trial order. If you plan repeat shipments, a continuous bond is usually cheaper.
6. What happens if my shipment is detained on forced labor grounds?
You receive a Notice of Detention and must produce supply chain documentation tracing the goods back to raw material. Build that file before you ship, not after.
7. Can a factory handle wovens, knits and flat-knits under one roof?
Some can, and it simplifies your vendor list considerably.
Talk to us about your program
If you are evaluating India for a new program or moving an existing one, we can walk through product capability, compliance documentation and a realistic first-order plan.
Trade policy on Indian goods has changed several times since 2025. Rates in this article were verified on 22 September 2026 against the sources linked above. Confirm the position with your customs broker before committing to an order.