Where India's furniture and handicrafts come from and how they reach the port
The export clusters sit inland. Jodhpur and Jaipur in Rajasthan make solid-wood, reclaimed-wood and iron-and-wood furniture; Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh is the wood-carving center; Moradabad makes brass and metalware; Agra works marble inlay; Channapatna in Karnataka turns lacquered wooden toys; Kutch in Gujarat produces embroidery. Channapatna Toys and Dolls, Mysore Rosewood Inlay, Blue Pottery of Jaipur, Kutch Embroidery, Kashmir Walnut Wood Carving, Bastar Wooden Craft and Nirmal Furniture are registered geographical indications, and Moradabad Metal Craft is registered as a logo.[7]
Because the clusters are inland, most furniture containers are stuffed at the factory or a nearby inland container depot and go to the port by rail. On JNPA's list of ICD destinations for Nhava Sheva, Jodhpur is customs code INBGK6, Jaipur is INKKU6, Kathuwas near Alwar is INCML6, Pakwara (Moradabad) is INMBD6, Agra is INAGR4, Bengaluru is INWFD6, and the Delhi ICDs are Tughlakabad INTKD6, Dadri INDER6 and Patparganj INPPG6.[8] Depending on the service, boxes from the northern ICDs can also go to Mundra (INMUN) or Pipavav (INPAV), and Karnataka cargo usually moves to Chennai (INMAA). Which port wins is a sailing question, not a rule: compare Nhava Sheva to New York, Mundra to Savannah and the India to USA lane guide. The factory stuffing, CFS and ICD guide explains the customs sealing at each option.
- Rajasthan (Jodhpur, Jaipur, Kishangarh): Airlift's Jodhpur and Jaipur branches arrange factory pickup and stuffing; Navi Mumbai covers Nhava Sheva and Gandhidham covers Mundra and Kandla.
- Uttar Pradesh and Delhi NCR (Saharanpur, Moradabad, Agra, Noida): the New Delhi branch books the Delhi ICDs, Pakwara and Agra.
- Gujarat (Kutch, Ahmedabad): Gandhidham and Ahmedabad handle road moves to Mundra.
- Karnataka (Channapatna, Mysuru): the Bengaluru branch covers the Bengaluru ICDs and the road route to Chennai.
Is furniture free to export from India? ITC (HS) policy, EPCH and the RCMC
India's export policy is Schedule 2 of the ITC (HS). Free goods export without a restricted export authorization, subject to any condition printed against the entry; Restricted goods need that authorization; Prohibited goods cannot be exported.[2] In the current 8-digit schedule every item of heading 9403 is Free, from metal furniture (9403 10, 9403 20) and wooden office, kitchen, bedroom and other furniture (9403 30 to 9403 60) to bamboo, rattan and other-material furniture (9403 82 to 9403 89); wooden parts, 9403 91 00, are Free subject to Chapter 94's Policy Condition 1, under which furniture, parts and handicrafts of Red Sanders wood are Restricted.[1] Wooden statuettes (4420 11 00, 4420 19 00) and marquetry and inlaid wood (4420 90 10) are Free, but the residual line 4420 90 90 is Restricted; brass utensils of 7418 10 21 and ceramic statuettes of heading 6913 are Free.[1] Check your 8-digit code with your customs broker (CHA) before each new product; the schedule moves by notification.
The timber itself is a different matter. Chapter 44's Policy Condition 4 says wood sawn or chipped lengthwise of a thickness exceeding 6 mm (heading 4407), other than sawn timber made exclusively out of imported logs, is prohibited for export, and several 8-digit lines of 4407 are marked Prohibited. Sawn timber made only from imported logs of species other than CITES Appendix I and II species is Free on conditions: the same firm imports and exports through listed ports, exports may not exceed 60% of the import by volume, value addition must be at least 30%, and the contracts are registered with CAPEXIL.[1] So you ship the finished article, not boards. The export policy also carries Appendix 2, the list of flora in CITES Appendix I and II, which is where sheesham and rosewood come in (next section).[2]
To apply for an authorization or any benefit under the Foreign Trade Policy, such as RoDTEP, you need a Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC), which Export Promotion Councils issue for their product groups (FTP 2023, paragraphs 2.56 and 2.57); it is not required for these purposes on export consignments with an FOB value of ₹10,000 or less.[3] For handicrafts the council is the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH). Any person venturing into handicraft exports can join as a merchant exporter, a manufacturer exporter or both; a self-certified IEC copy is mandatory, a GSTIN copy is required, manufacturer exporters add Udyam registration and a self-declaration of the products they make, and the RCMC is valid for 5 years subject to the annual membership fee.[4] The IEC, AD code, LUT and RCMC guide walks through the sequence and the RoDTEP, drawback and IGST refund guide covers what it unlocks.
The Foreign Trade Policy itself does not define a handicraft. The Chapter 44 policy conditions of the export schedule set two tests for classification: the item must be predominantly made by hand, with machinery only as a secondary process, and it must carry ornamentation, inlay or similar work of a substantial nature.[1] EPCH's own note traces these to the Supreme Court's Louis Shoppe judgment and to CBEC Circular No. 789/22/2004-CX of May 31, 2004, which says whether an item is a handicraft is a question of fact.[5] Factory-made furniture finished by hand sits in a gray zone; EPCH membership does not change your HS code or your GST treatment, so take those two questions to your CHA and chartered accountant.
Sheesham and rosewood furniture: the CITES rule and the 10 kg finished-product exemption
All rosewoods of the genus Dalbergia, which includes sheesham (Dalbergia sissoo) and Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia), are in CITES Appendix II (except the species in Appendix I) under annotation #15. The genus listing took effect on January 2, 2017; the annotation in force today is the CoP18 revision, effective November 26, 2019, and the CITES Species+ database still shows it as the current listing for both species as of October 15, 2026.[9] It covers all parts and derivatives except (a) leaves, flowers, pollen, fruits and seeds; (b) finished products to a maximum weight of wood of the listed species of up to 10 kg per shipment; (c) finished musical instruments, parts and accessories; (d) parts and derivatives of Dalbergia cochinchinensis, covered by annotation #4; and (e) Dalbergia originating and exported from Mexico, covered by annotation #6.[10] The interpretation adopted with the revision applies the 10 kg limit to the Dalbergia wood in each item of the shipment, not to the total weight of the shipment.[10] At CoP19 in November 2022, India and Nepal proposed removing Dalbergia sissoo from Appendix II and then amended the proposal to an exemption for finished furniture and handicraft products of D. sissoo first exported from India and Nepal; it was rejected, 30 for and 55 against.[11] No CoP has removed the finished-products exemption, and none has delisted sheesham.[9]
In practice: a sheesham bedside table whose Dalbergia wood weighs under 10 kg is outside CITES; a sheesham dining table or a sideboard is not. Anything above the exemption needs a CITES export document from India. EPCH describes two routes: a CITES permit issued by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), or the VRIKSH Shipment Certificate issued by EPCH as a comparable document, for which the exporter establishes the chain of custody and legality of the wood; its 2018 release names the Additional Director General of Forests in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change as India's CITES Management Authority.[6] On the US side the inspection authority reviews the CITES paperwork, may inspect the shipment and cancels the original foreign document; plant-only shipments are validated at CITES-designated ports administered by APHIS.[12]
Three habits keep sheesham shipments clean. Name the species on the invoice and packing list (common and scientific name) and record the Dalbergia weight per item, so the 10 kg question answers itself at both borders. Apply for the permit or the EPCH comparable document before you fix the cargo-ready date, because it must travel with the shipment. And note that EPCH recorded a shift from sheesham to acacia and mango in export woodware after the listing.[6] CITES-listed species are also excluded from the Lacey Act de minimis exception described below.[15] Which office issues what, and on which portal, changes; confirm the current procedure with EPCH or WCCB before you quote.
Bark, pests and ISPM-15: what APHIS checks on wooden goods and wood packaging
APHIS's log and lumber regulations (7 CFR 319.40) define regulated articles to include logs, lumber, bark, wood chips, solid wood packing materials and wooden handicrafts if they are unprocessed, have received only primary processing, or contain such parts that are not feasibly separable; a wooden handicraft is a class of articles made from natural components of wood, twigs and vines, including carvings, baskets, boxes, bird houses and rustic garden and patio furniture.[17] APHIS lists wooden handicrafts machined smooth on all sides, and finished wood products, as generally authorized without an import permit, though all commodities remain subject to inspection on arrival.[18] The dividing line is bark and raw surfaces: a planed, sanded and sealed table is a finished product; a bench with bark on the legs or a twig basket can be held at the port. Debark everything, kiln-dry to your buyer's moisture specification and keep the kiln record.
Wood that is packaging rather than product has its own rule. India's General Notes to Export Policy allow goods to be exported in wood packaging material (pallets, dunnage, crating, packing blocks, cases, skids) only in compliance with the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM).[2] APHIS requires regulated wood packaging material entering the United States to be treated and certified under ISPM 15 and marked; illegible or nonconforming stamps, signs of pests such as exit holes and frass, and mixed new and old wood are flagged, while plywood, pressboard, oriented strand board, hardboard and metal frames are not regulated.[19] Buy pallets and crates from an accredited treatment provider and photograph the marks; the crate around a marble-inlay top must carry the mark even though the table does not. See ISPM-15.
Lacey Act declaration: what your buyer files on furniture of 9403 and what you must supply
The Lacey Act requires an import declaration for plant products under HTS codes on APHIS's phase-in schedule. APHIS's Federal Register notice of May 31, 2024 set Phase VII to begin on December 1, 2024 and added, among many other codes, the furniture lines 9403.30.80 (other wooden office furniture), 9403.40.60 and 9403.50.60 (wooden kitchen and bedroom furniture designed for motor vehicle use), 9403.50.90 (other wooden bedroom furniture), 9403.60.80 (other wooden furniture), 9403.82.00, 9403.83.00 and 9403.89 (bamboo, rattan and other materials), 9403.91.00 (wooden parts) and 9403.99.20, the upholstered wooden seats 9401.61.40 and 9401.61.60, and headings 4412 (plywood) and 4413.[13] APHIS said on September 20, 2024 that 9403.40.9040, 9403.40.9060 and 9403.40.9080 (general wooden kitchen furniture) were omitted by oversight and would be added later with a six-month waiting period; check APHIS's current schedule for your buyer's 10-digit line.[14] Your buyer (the importer of record or its agent) files the declaration in CBP's ACE as the primary method, or in APHIS's LAWGS; APHIS stopped accepting paper PPQ 505 forms on January 1, 2026.[16] A declaration is needed when the product contains plant material, is under a listed HTS code and is a formal entry (generally $2,500 or more).[15]
The declaration must state the scientific name (genus and species) of each plant, a description of the shipment, its value, the quantity in metric units and the country where the plant was taken, plus the importer, consignee, HTS code, bill of lading, container number and manufacturer identification code.[15] Country of harvest is where the tree grew, not where the furniture was made. If the species is unknown, every species that may have been used is listed, and likewise every possible country; special designations exist for composite and recycled material. A de minimis exception applies when plant material is no more than 5% of the product's weight and the plant weight under the same 10-digit HTS code does not exceed 2.9 kg, but never to CITES-listed species.[15]
None of this is filed by you, but all of it comes from you. Build a Lacey data sheet per SKU: each wood component (frame, top, drawer sides, veneer, plywood or MDF core) with its genus and species, country of harvest and weight in kilograms, backed by your timber purchase records. Mango and acacia furniture is simple; a piece built from reclaimed teak mixed with sheesham is not, and you list every species that may be present. A brass tray with a wooden base contains plant material; an all-metal article does not. Send the data sheet with the proforma, because your buyer's broker needs it before the vessel arrives. The US import rules for Indian exporters guide sets the Lacey Act next to ISF and the entry.
CPSC rules your factory must build in: tip-over (STURDY), lead paint, cribs and upholstered flammability
Dressers and chests are regulated for tip-over. Under the STURDY Act, 16 CFR part 1261 incorporates ASTM F2057 for clothing storage units manufactured after September 1, 2023: free-standing bedroom-type units with drawers or hinged doors for clothing, at least 27 inches high, at least 30 pounds and with at least 3.2 cubic feet of enclosed storage. Chests, dressers, armoires and bureaus are in; bookcases, entertainment, office and dining furniture are out.[20] The unit must pass three stability tests (a clothing load with drawers and doors open, a 10-pound pull at the highest hand-hold, and a 60-pound weight on carpet), interlocks must work without extra consumer action, an ASTM F3096 anti-tip device must be packed with the product, and the required warnings go on the unit; the certificate (GCC, or CPC for a children's product) cites 16 CFR part 1261.[20] Test a production sample and give your buyer the report.
Paint is regulated on all consumer furniture. Paint and similar surface coatings with 0.009% (90 ppm) or more lead by weight are banned on children's products and on furniture articles, the movable articles that support people or things, such as beds, bookcases, chairs, chests, tables, dressers, desks and sofas. Metal furniture with factory-applied coatings (other than children's furniture) and the backing paint of mirrors in furniture are excluded; certificates cite 16 CFR part 1303.[21] Children's furniture carries more: full-size cribs must meet 16 CFR part 1219 (the Commission-accepted ASTM F1169 version for the date of manufacture, F1169-19 for cribs made after October 28, 2019) and non-full-size cribs 16 CFR part 1220 (ASTM F406), each with a Children's Product Certificate, the permanent labels of 16 CFR 1130.4 and a product registration form.[22][23] If you make anything for children, agree the test program with your buyer before you cut wood.
Upholstered seating has a federal flammability standard. 16 CFR part 1640 adopts California Technical Bulletin 117-2013 for seating with an upholstered seat, back or arm that is stuffed or filled, effective June 25, 2021, and since June 25, 2022 each piece must carry a permanent label reading "Complies with U.S. CPSC requirements for upholstered furniture flammability"; hang tags do not count. Mattresses, bedding, outdoor-only cushions and small throw pillows sold separately are outside it.[24] Get TB 117-2013 test reports for cover fabric and filling and sew the label in at the factory; your buyer cannot add it after arrival.
Composite wood (TSCA Title VI), cushion labels and country-of-origin marking
If your furniture contains plywood, medium-density fiberboard or particleboard, the EPA formaldehyde rule applies. 40 CFR 770.10 sets emission limits of 0.05 ppm for hardwood plywood, 0.11 ppm for MDF, 0.13 ppm for thin MDF and 0.09 ppm for particleboard, for composite wood products manufactured or imported on or after June 1, 2018, including when incorporated into a finished good.[25] Panels must be certified by an EPA TSCA Title VI third-party certifier (TPC). Each finished good, or every box or bundle, carries a label with at least the fabricator's name, the month and year of production and a statement that the goods are TSCA Title VI compliant; fabricators, importers, distributors and retailers keep invoices or bills of lading carrying the compliance statement for three years.[26] Buy only labeled, TPC-certified panels, keep the panel invoices, and put the TSCA Title VI compliance statement on your invoice.
Textile parts carry their own label. The FTC's Textile Act rules (16 CFR part 303) cover cushions, afghans and throws, furniture slip covers and other furniture covers, and bedding including pillows; upholstery stuffing that is not reused and the outer coverings of upholstered furniture are exempt.[27] A covered item shows the generic fiber names and percentages by weight in order of predominance, the country of origin on the front of the label, and the company name or RN.[27] Loose seat cushions and embroidered cushion covers therefore need the label; the fixed upholstery on a sofa does not. The textiles and apparel export guide covers the labels in detail.
Everything is marked with its origin. Section 304 of the Tariff Act, through 19 CFR 134.11, requires every article of foreign origin (or its container) to be marked in a conspicuous place as legibly, indelibly and permanently as the article permits, with the English name of the country of origin, for the ultimate purchaser in the United States.[28] For furniture that usually means a branded mark, plate or sewn label reading "Made in India", not a sticker; for brass, a stamp. Marking origin and the Lacey country of harvest are separate questions; your buyer's broker confirms origin.
HS codes for wooden and metal furniture, brass and decor, and what your US buyer pays
The first six digits of your Shipping Bill match your buyer's entry; classification in each country is the broker's call. In the US HTS, 2026 Revision 21, furniture of heading 9403 is duty-free in Column 1 whether wooden or metal: 9403.20.00 (other metal furniture), 9403.30.80 (wooden office), 9403.40.90 (wooden kitchen), 9403.50.90 (wooden bedroom), 9403.60.80 (other wooden furniture) and 9403.89.60 (other materials) are all Free, as are wooden seats of 9401.61 and 9401.69.[29] Decor is not free: wooden statuettes and ornaments of 4420.11.00 and 4420.19.00 pay 3.2%, jewelry boxes of 4420.90.45 (not lined with textile fabrics) 4.3% and 4420.90.65 (lined) Free, other articles of 4420.90.80 3.2%, brass table, kitchen and household articles of 7418.10.00 3%, and other ornamental ceramic articles of 6913.90.50 6%.[29] Use the HTS code finder and the import duty pages with your buyer, and keep furniture, decor and textiles on separate invoice lines.
US duties are the importer's bill, but they decide whether your quote lands. As of October 15, 2026, products of India pay a 10% Section 301 duty on top of the Column 1 rate on goods entered for consumption on or after July 24, 2026, with the exceptions listed in the USTR notice.[30] The US tariffs on India guide tracks the stack and the tariff simulator gives a line-by-line estimate your buyer can check with its broker.
Packing knock-down or assembled, cubic efficiency, the documents and the claims file
Furniture fills a container by volume long before weight, so the packing decision is cubic. Knock-down (KD) pieces in flat cartons stack to the roof of a 40-foot high-cube; assembled pieces ship air and need bracing so stacks cannot shift. Agree the split with your buyer: KD for tables, beds and shelving, assembled for carved and inlaid pieces. Protect corners, wrap finished surfaces in paper before film so the finish does not print, crate marble-inlay tops and mirrors on edge in ISPM-15 crates, and add desiccant for monsoon sailings. Run the carton dimensions through the container load calculator and check door heights on the container dimensions page. Small orders and samples go LCL; the LCL vs FCL from India guide explains when a part-filled 40-foot box is the better choice for furniture. Airlift arranges both FCL and LCL consolidation from its Indian branches.
The export declaration is the Shipping Bill filed on ICEGATE (step by step here), and the export documents checklist lists every paper on an India to USA shipment. What furniture adds is in the table below: species and harvest data for the Lacey declaration, the CITES permit or EPCH comparable document when listed wood exceeds the exemption, the TSCA Title VI statement, CPSC test reports and certificate data, and labels applied in India. Your buyer's importer security filing draws on the same manufacturer, origin and HS code data; Airlift files the ISF as the NVOCC and arranges the US customs entry through licensed customs brokers.
Claims on furniture are scratches, crushed corners, cracked panels and mold. Photograph the empty container with its number, each tier as it is loaded, and the closed doors with the seal and container number in one frame; record a moisture reading at stuffing and keep the kiln record and ISPM-15 certificate in the file. Ask your buyer to photograph the seal before it is cut, note damage on the delivery receipt and tell Airlift's US office at once. Bill of lading notice periods are short and carrier liability is limited, so marine cargo insurance is the realistic protection; your insurer sets its terms.
| Product | HS heading | US rule(s) | Document from the exporter | Packaging |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid-wood tables, beds, shelving (mango, acacia, reclaimed teak) | 9403.60, 9403.50, 9403.40 (Free)[29] | Lacey Act declaration[13]; lead paint 16 CFR 1303[21]; marking 19 CFR 134[28] | Lacey data sheet (genus, species, country of harvest, kg per component); kiln record | KD cartons or braced assembled pieces; ISPM-15 pallets[19] |
| Sheesham or rosewood (Dalbergia) furniture | 9403.50, 9403.60 (Free)[29] | CITES Appendix II, annotation #15 (up to 10 kg of listed wood per item exempt)[9][10]; Lacey Act, no de minimis[15] | CITES export permit (WCCB) or EPCH VRIKSH comparable document above the exemption[6]; species and weight per item on the packing list | As above; CITES document travels with the shipment |
| Dressers, chests, armoires (clothing storage units) | 9403.50.90 (Free)[29] | 16 CFR 1261 stability tests, anti-tip device, warnings[20]; Lacey; lead paint | ASTM F2057 test report; GCC or CPC citing 16 CFR part 1261[20] | Anti-tip kit packed with every unit; interlocks need no assembly when shipped assembled[20] |
| Upholstered chairs, sofas, benches | 9401.61 (Free)[29] | 16 CFR 1640 (TB 117-2013) label[24]; Lacey on 9401.61.40 and 9401.61.60[13]; textile label on loose cushions[27] | Foam and fabric TB 117-2013 reports; permanent compliance label sewn in; fiber-content labels on loose cushions | Crated or bagged and braced; no stacking on upholstery |
| Furniture with plywood, MDF or particleboard | 9403.30 to 9403.60 (Free)[29] | TSCA Title VI, 40 CFR 770 emission limits and labels[25][26]; Lacey; 4412 plywood also listed[13] | TPC-certified panel invoices; finished-good label (fabricator, month/year, TSCA Title VI compliant); compliance statement on invoice | KD cartons; edges protected |
| Wooden statuettes, boxes, marquetry, Channapatna toys | 4420.11.00, 4420.19.00 (3.2%), 4420.90.45 (4.3%), 4420.90.65 (Free)[29] | APHIS: machined smooth, no bark[18]; lead paint on children's items[21]; marking | Species on the invoice; Children's Product Certificate for toys and other children's items[20] | Cartons on ISPM-15 pallets; no twigs or bark in the box |
| Brass and metal decor (Moradabad), ceramic decor | 7418.10.00 (3%), 6913.90.50 (6%), 9403.20.00 (Free)[29] | Marking 19 CFR 134[28]; lead paint on coated furniture articles[21]; no Lacey declaration without plant material[15] | Alloy and finish description; stamped origin | Dense cartons low in the stack; wooden bases make the item a Lacey line |