Ocean freight from India to the US takes roughly 28 to 38 days to the East Coast and 30 to 35 to the West Coast under 2026 routing. Most cargo leaves from Nhava Sheva or Mundra, duty on most Indian goods is 18% since February 2026, and your supplier needs an IEC and a GST-free export invoice.
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Which port your cargo leaves from
Geography decides this for you. Nhava Sheva (JNPT) near Mumbai is India’s largest container port at about 7.3 million TEU and handles over half of national container traffic; it serves the north and west, so Jodhpur furniture, Moradabad brass, Panipat textiles and Jaipur goods flow through it. Mundra in Gujarat is the private-sector alternative on the same coast.
Chennai serves the south: the Tamil Nadu leather belt, Tirupur knitwear and southern granite. If your suppliers span both regions, plan two consolidation points rather than trucking cargo across the country.
Transit times in 2026
| Route | Typical transit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| India west coast to US East Coast | 28 to 38 days | 22-25 via Suez when open; 35-40 via the Cape |
| India to US West Coast | 30 to 35 days | Via the Pacific |
| India to North Europe | 18 to 30 days | Structurally shorter than China-Europe |
| Air freight | About 1 week door-to-door | For samples and launch quantities |
Red Sea routing remains the swing factor: most services have sailed via the Cape of Good Hope since late 2023, adding 10 to 14 days versus Suez. Quote schedules per booking, not from memory.
Duty and the 2026 tariff timeline
The short version of a chaotic 18 months: US tariffs on Indian goods rose to 25% in August 2025, doubled to 50% weeks later, then the February 2026 deal removed the penalty and set the reciprocal rate at 18%. That now undercuts competing origins on most goods.
Category exceptions matter more than the headline. Furniture pays Section 232 duties of 25% regardless of origin. Jewelry moved to a separate regime mid-2026 with an effective rate near 16%, and unset gemstones head to zero under the interim framework. Engineered quartz carries anti-dumping orders plus a new safeguard quota. Price your specific HTS line, not the headline rate.
Documents your shipment needs
- From the supplier: a valid IEC (no IEC means no legal export), a GST-free commercial invoice, packing list, and certificate of origin.
- Product-specific: Vriksh certificate for sheesham wood, phytosanitary certificate and ISPM-15 packaging for anything wooden, lab test reports where your market requires them.
- On the US side: customs bond, ISF filing before loading, and Lacey Act declaration for wood products.
Keeping freight costs down
Three habits save the most money. Fill full containers rather than shipping LCL when volumes allow; a 20ft box swallows about 25 to 28 cubic metres and mixed SKUs are standard practice in India. Consolidate suppliers around one port. And build the 30 to 50% advance payment rhythm into your cashflow so goods never wait at the factory for a transfer to clear.
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