Shipping from India to USA: The Complete Guide

Before you start shipping from India to USA, read this guide.

It will help you save a lot of time and money when importing from India to the USA.

Let’s dive right in.

Key Players Involved in Shipping from India to the USA

When shipping goods from India to the USA, you are simply appending the value of the goods.

Since you cannot do it by yourself, you have to depend on other people to make the process a success.

Here are the main players in the shipping of goods from India to the United States of America.

 Shipping from India to USA

Shipper

You will need the shipper who will provide the goods from India at a fee that you will pay.

There are various types of shippers who provide different types of goods and can perform different purposes.

Consignee

You are the consignee or the person who will deal with the shipment that comes from India to the USA.

You will choose the types of goods that you need from the shipper in India that you agree on terms with.

Freight Forwarder

You can also identify the freight forwarder as the logistics provider who controls the air or ship transport.

Freight forwarders help you with the movement of goods from India to the United States of America.

Shipping Line

You will also need a shipping line which is the company responsible for carrying the goods from India to USA.

You can either choose between the sea transport shipping line or air transport shipping line to import goods from India.

Process of Shipping Cargo from India to USA

When shipping your goods from India to the United States of America, there is a process that you will follow.

You may not undertake every process personally but you can organize and get other players to perform these functions.

Here are the details on the main steps you will perform either directly or indirectly to import goods from India.

Step One: Haulage of Exports

First, you will organize with the shipper of the goods to move the products from the factory or warehouse.

Depending on the location of the freight forwarders’ premises, your shipper can either use road or railway transport.

Apart from that, your shipper must also package the goods accordingly to avoid damages along the way.

Step Two: Customs Clearance of the Exports

As soon as your freight forwarder of choice receives the cargo, he will begin the export clearance process.

Here, your freight forwarder will organize the relevant documents that you need for the shipping of the goods.

After that, he or she will submit the documents to the relevant authorities for customs clearance of the cargo.

Apart from that, your freight forwarder will proceed to organize for the transport of the goods that you need.

He can either settle on air transport or sea transport depending on the type of goods you need to transport.

Step Three: Origin Handling

You will also proceed with the handling of the goods such as inspection processes to ascertain the type of goods.

Apart from that, the freight forwarder will ensure proper packaging of the cargo before loading it on the freight.

Step Four: Ocean or Air Freight

This is the process by which you will transport your cargo from India to the United States of America.

You will depend on your freight forwarder to organize for the mode of transporting the cargo from India.

You can either use air transport if you want fast delivery but at a higher cost.

On the other hand, you can opt for the cheaper ocean freights which will take longer for the goods to arrive.

In addition to the shipping cost, you will incur other charges such as exchange rates and currency adjustment factors.

Step Five: Customs Clearance of Imports

You can begin the process of clearing the goods as soon as you have word that it is a safe distance from arriving.

It involves providing the relevant details to the customs authorities in the USA via a customs broker.

As soon as your customs broker completes the clearance process, you will wait for the goods to arrive.

On arrival, the relevant authorities will unload the cargo, inspect the cargo and load it out of the port.

Step Six: Receiving of the Cargo

Finally, you will receive your cargo at the address of choice where you will unload it and inspect it.

In case of damages, you must take note of the damages and report it to the relevant authorities for inspection.

 Import process

Prohibited Products to Ship from India to the USA

You have the freedom of choosing any type of goods that you want to ship from India to USA.

It is important to note that this freedom does not cover all the goods you may want to import from India.

In other words, there are particular goods that are prohibited from entering the United Stated of America.

Here is a list of the goods that you should NOT import from India to USA.

Prohibited and restricted items

• Aerosols
• Dairy
• Fur
• Ivory
• Fresh Foods
• Animals
• Cash
• Nail Varnish
• Perfume
• Plants
• Tobacco
• Seed among other products

You can get in touch with the customs department in the United States of America to provide you with more details.

Top Courier Services to use when Shipping Cargo from India to USA

When shipping cargo from India to the USA, you can leave all the processes of handling to courier services.

There are numerous courier services who can handle your products from India to the USA.

Here are the main courier service providers who can handle your imports plus the rates.

DHL Courier Services

You can use DHL who are the leading eCommerce shippers to get your imports from India to USA on time.

You will pay between 1 and 5 US dollars for every 50 grams of cargo from India to the United States of America.

FedEx Courier Services

You can also use FedEx e-commerce to help in shipping your cargo from India to the United States of America.

There are three main types of shipping from the FedEx international branch which include:

i. FedEx International First Ecommerce Shipping

ii. Priority Ecommerce Shipping

iii. Economy Ecommerce Shipping

You will pay different rates for the above options ranging from 1 to 13 US dollars for every 50-gram package.

Shiprocket Courier Services

You can also opt for an eCommerce shipping option in India which has partnerships with FedEx and DHL among others.

Here, you will pay the rates that the eCommerce service will charge you regardless of the partnerships.

The rates of transporting your cargo via Shiprocket courier services will begin from as low as 1 US dollar for 50grams.

Aramex Courier Services

You can also opt for other world-renowned eCommerce service providers such as Aramex with a base in Dubai.

With Aramex, you can pay for the shipping services from as low as 9 US dollars for every 50 grams of cargo.

They also have other rates that will favor other small businesses such as startups to ensure proper trade.

Benefits of Using Courier Services for Shipping from India to USA

You may wonder why you need to use courier services to ship your goods from India to the USA.

Well, here are the benefits that you will enjoy when you decide to use courier services.

Door to Door Services

You should consider using courier services to transport your cargo since they deliver the goods all the way to your doorstep.

Hassle-Free Customs Clearance Process

You should also rest easy when dealing with courier services because you will not be dealing with customs clearance processes.

The courier service providers will help in the whole process of clearing your cargo with the customs departments.

Shipment Tracking

You will also relish the opportunity to track your cargo as it moves from India to the USA with the courier service providers.

They will provide you with the details on the position of your cargo as it moves from one point to another.

Flexible Payment Options

Paying for the transport of your cargo via courier services is also very easy as you can do it online.

Most of the courier services allow you to initiate online payment services through services such as PayPal.

Shipment of Different Goods

You can use the courier service to transport any type of cargo from India to the United States of America.

It is capable of moving goods as small as documents to other goods that are as big as manufacturing machines.

Competitive Pricing

You don’t have to pay a lot of money when shipping your cargo from India to the United States of America.

The prices are flexible and will depend on the type of goods that you are transporting from India to the USA.

Insurance Provision

You will not have to go through the payment of insurance services as the whole price is included in the prices.

Your courier service provider will include the cost of insurance in the total cost of shipping your cargo.

How to Calculate Cost of Shipping from India to the USA

When using the courier services, you will only pay the amount that the courier service provider quotes.

You can also use the cost calculator which most courier service providers use in the calculation of cost.

Here are the main details on how you can arrive at the total amount of money to pay.

• Enter the 6 digits pick up area pin code
• You will also enter the delivery area pin code
• You will also enter the weight of the cargo that you intend to ship

Finally, you will calculate the overall cost automatically and pay for the shipment of the goods.

Products you Ship from India to USA

You have the freedom of importing almost anything that you want from India to the United States of America.

You must also note that not everything that you want can pass through the boarders of the United States from India.

To avoid being a victim at the boarders of USA, here is a list of products that you can import from India.

• Food Items
• Electronics
• Parcels
• General and Highly Classified Documents
• Cargo
• Garments
• Artwork
• Unaccompanied or Overweight Baggage
• Sports Equipment
• Household Transfers

You will realize that the list is very long as the items you can import are very many.

Please get in touch with the customs department in USA to ensure that your goods can cross the border successfully.

Transit Time when Shipping from India to USA

When shipping from India, you can receive your goods within a few days or weeks depending on the mode of transport.

In case you are using express shipping, you can get your cargo within hours from India to the USA.

Sea freight is often slower and will take a couple of days at sea before you receive your cargo.

It is also important to look at the distance that the freight will cover when moving from different locations in India.

Here is a table that details the period it will take for a ship to send cargo from different locations in India to USA.

When using air freight, you will take a shorter time to get the cargo but spend more on transport.

Here is a table with the main time details on how to transport your cargo from India to the USA by air freight.

Ocean Freight Shipping from India to USA

You can opt for ocean freight which involves moving your cargo via the sea from India to the USA.

This is the cheapest mode of transport that you can use in comparison to air freight.

Despite the low cost, you will have to wait longer because it is very slow.

Apart from that, you will have to pack your cargo in LCL or FCL shipping containers before transport.

You must also consider the overall cost of insurance when paying for the ocean freights.

Cargo ship

Air Freight Shipping from India to USA

You can also opt for air freight shipping which is the fastest mode of shipping your cargo.

You should, however, prepare to pay a higher amount of money because it is very expensive.

In addition to that, you can settle on different types of air freights when moving the cargo from India.

One of the fastest modes of air freight is express shipping where you can charter a plane to transport cargo.

In other words, you will not wait for other goods to be loaded on the plane which will transport your goods alone.

Cargo plane

Cheapest Courier Services for Shipping Cargo from India to the USA

The cheapest courier service that you can use to transport your cargo from India to the USA is the ocean freight courier service.

You can enjoy rates as low as 1 dollar for every 50 grams of cargo that you carry from India to the USA.

Documents you need when Shipping from India to the USA

When shipping your cargo from India to USA, you must present various import documents to the customs departments.

Here is a list of all the documents that you must be ready to present to the customs departments.

Bill of lading

• Proforma Invoice
• Commercial Invoice
• Packing List
• Certificates of Origin
• Shippers Letter of Instructions
• Bills of Lading
• Dangerous Goods Form
• Bank Draft

Incoterms to Use when Shipping from India to USA

During the shipping process, you should also choose particular incoterms that you will use for particular freights.

Here are the main incoterms that you will use in the process of shipping cargo from India to USA.

Group E Incoterms

You will use the group E incoterms during the departure of the goods from the ports in India to USA.

The main incoterm in this category is Ex Works or EXW where the sellers will transport the goods to the agreed location.

Group F Incoterms

You can also choose among the different incoterms in group F which involves main courage unpaid terms.

Here, you can choose from the three main incoterms including:

i. FCA – Free carrier

ii. FAS – Free Alongside Ship

iii. FOB – Free on Board

Group C Incoterms

Under group C incoterms, you can opt for the main carriage paid which has a variety of incoterms.

Here are the main incoterms that you can find within group C:

i. CFR – Cost and Freight to the main port of destination

ii. CIF – Cost, Insurance and Freight to the main port of destination

iii. CPT – Carriage Paid To all the way to the port of destination

iv. CIP – Carriage Insurance Paid all the way to the port of destination

Group D Incoterms

You can also refer to them as the arrival incoterms which have a couple of options that you can choose from.

Here are the main arrival incoterms that you will choose under group D incoterms.

i. DAF – Delivery at Frontier which is the location you will decide on.

ii. DES – Delivered Ex Ship which is the delivery to the port of destination

iii. DEQ – Delivery Ex-Quay which is delivered at the port of destination as well.

iv. DDU – Delivery Duty Unpaid which goes all the way to the port of destination.

v. DDP – Delivery Duty Paid all the way to the port of destination

Main Sea Ports in India

 Seaports in india

You should have knowledge of the different seaports in India where you can send your cargo from.

Here are the main seaports in India which can comfortably transport your cargo to the USA.

Hazira Sea Port

You can use the Hazira port when transporting your cargo from the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial corridor to the USA.

The types of cargo that you can import through this port include automobiles and liquid chemicals among others.

It has a UN/LOCODE of INHZR and has the capability of handling 500,000 TEU of containers annually.

Kolkata Sea Port

You can use Kolkata seaport which is the oldest operational port in India handling 650,000 containers per year.

It has 40 berths as well as 86 wharves which facilitate the exportation of cotton and leather to the USA.

The UN/LOCODE is INCCU and it is owned by the Kolkata Port Trust or the Indian Ministry of Shipping.

Tuticorin Sea Port

You can also refer to it as the V.O. Chidambaranar and has the 4^th largest capacity of container handling in India.

With a UN/LOCODE of INTUT it has an annual container volume of 560,000 TEU with 13 berths, 7 wharves, and 3 piers.

Port Pipavav

You can opt for port Pipavav with a UN/LOCODE of INPAV and annual capability of handling 880,000 TEUs.

It is closer to the busiest seaport in India thus having access to the busiest route in India.

Cochin Sea Port

This port is spread over two islands in India with a UN/LOCODE of INCOK and a capability of handling 400,000 TEUs.

It boasts of being the largest trans-shipment facility that you will use in India.

Apart from the above ports, you can also opt for other ports in India such as:

• Kattupalli Sea Port
• Krishanapatnam Sea Port
• Kandla Sea Port
• Nhava Sheva Sea Port
• Mundra Sea Port
• Chennai Sea Port
• Haldia Sea Port
• Visakhapatnam Sea Port

Ports of Arrival in USA for Shipping from India to the USA?

When using the sea or ocean freight, you can receive the goods at other various destinations in the USA.

Here are the main ports of destination where you can get your goods delivered from India.

Ports in USA

Houston Sea Port

You can pick your cargo from the busiest seaport in the USA with a UN/LOCODE of USHOU.

It has the capability of handling 1.6 million TEU within a year where 15% of cargo comes from Asia.

Detroit Sea Ports

You can also opt for the Detroit seaports which hands. Liquid, general, and bulk cargo with UN/LOCODE of USDET.

It has the capability of handling a considerable number of containers annually from different locations such as India.

New Orleans Sea Port

You can use this port which generates over 100 million dollars annually while handling over 500,000 TEU containers.

It has a UN/LOCODE of USMSY and will be a great location for picking up your cargo from India.

Chicago Sea Port

This port has a UN/LOCODE of USCHI and has several ports making up one port that can handle 36 million TEUs in a year.

It is a world-class type of port which also boasts of numerous warehouses for storage of your cargo.

Jacksonville Sea Port

You will use the newest port in USA for the importation of vehicles from India among other products.

It has a UN/LOCODE of USJAX and can handle about 1.3 million TEUs in a year.

The other ports in the USA where you can get your cargo are:

• New York Sea Ports
• San Francisco Sea Ports
• Oakland Sea Ports
• Boston Sea ports
• Baltimore Sea ports
• Atlanta Sea Ports
• Charleston Sea Ports
• Norfolk Sea Ports
• Tacoma Sea Ports
• Port Everglades Sea Ports
• Mobile Sea Ports

Transit Routes when Shipping from India to USA

There are specific routes that you can use when shipping from India to USA.

Here is a table with the sea route and time it takes when navigating these sea routes.

Benefits of Using Freight Forwarder when Shipping from India to USA

You can simply hire a freight forwarder to handle your shipment from India to USA.

Here are the main reasons why you should hire a freight forwarder to transport your cargo.

• Timely pickup of the cargo and delivery of the cargo from India to USA
• Efficient use of the tracking systems for the cargo from India to USA
• Ensures proper security for your cargo
• It is also the most cost-effective mode and hassle-free mode of shipping
• Ensure proper and accurate documentation processes
• Proper management of the shipping inventories
• Warehousing and storage of the goods

Main Airports of Origin in India when Shipping from India to USA

After securing the goods from India, you can transport them through air freight from India.

Here are the main airports in India which you can use to dispatch the cargo to USA.

Here are the main airports of origin for transporting the cargo to the USA.

DELHI International Airport

Delhi international airport is the main airport covering over 5100 acres which is the busiest cargo airport in India.

It has different brownfield and greenfield cargo terminals thus making it proper for sending cargo to USA.

It serves different airports in USA including JFK in New York, Chicago- O’Hare, and San Francisco International Airport.

It has an IATA code of DEL.

MUMBAI International Airport

You can also identify it as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and is the second largest cargo airport in India.

It has three terminals which have both city side and air side access thus increasing the overall speed of shipment.

You can import your cargo from Mumbai International Airport to New York -JFK international airport.

It has an IATA code of BOM.

Destination Airports when Shipping from India to USA

When shipping cargo from India to USA you can use air freight services.

On your air freight services, you can get your products from different airports in the United States of America.

Here are some of the airports where you can get your cargo from India in the USA.

CHICAGO – 0’HARE International Airport

You can get your cargo from the Northeast or the South of the airport with a large capacity of 2 million square feet.

It has rail and road links that help in the distribution of the products all over the United States of America.

You can load the products at the Delhi International Airport in India.

It has an IATA code which is ORD.

NEW YORK – JFK International Airport

It has four runways and six terminals across the 5200-acre site and offices for multiple cargo companies.

It is the 3^rd largest airport that receives most of the cargo which you will import from India.

It has an IATA Code of JFK and it has a connection with the Mumbai and Delhi International Airports.

San Francisco International Airport

This is the biggest airport in the California bay Area which is 21 km south from downtown.

It has four freight ways as well as 9 cargo facilities with an IATA CODE of SFO.

You can import your cargo from the Delhi International Airport in India.

Apart from the three main airports, you can receive your cargo at other airports in USA such as:

• Atlanta International Airport
• Denver International Airport
• El Paso International Airport
• Houston International Airport
• Miami International Airport
• Philadelphia International Airport
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
• Cleveland International Airport
• Los Angeles International Airport
• Charlotte International Airport
• Cincinnati International Airport
• Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
• San Diego-Lindberg Field International Airport
• Boston International Airport
• Detroit-Wayne County International Airport
• Sacramento International Airport

The Best Time to Ship from India to USA

When shipping from India to USA, you should wait for the product for some time.

This will depend on the mode of freight that you will use in the shipping process.

In case you use the best and fastest mode of transport, here are the best time for shipping from India.

How LCL Shipping from India to USA compare to FCL Shipping from India to USA

Well, whenever you choose to use ocean freights, you can either choose to use FCL or LCL shipping.

Your choice will depend definitely on the quantity of goods that you will be importing via the ocean freights.

Here are the considerations that should compel you to use LCL or FCL ocean freight services.

FCL vs LCL

LCL Ocean Freight Services

You will use LCL shipping when importing a small consignment of goods from India to the United States of America.

In other words, you will use it on goods that will not take up more than half of the 20 ft container.

It is important to weigh up the costs and determine whether the gods will sit together with other goods.

It will also take slightly longer as the amount of handling of cargo under LCL is often complicated.

You must also have flexible arrival times as the LCL arrival time may change at any point.

FCL Ocean Freight Services

In this case, you don’t have to worry about dimensions and weight as you will use a whole container.

You must be ready to pay for the rental or purchase of the whole container as well as transportation cost.

FCL shipping is the most suitable mode of transport for isolated goods that do not require any form of delays.

You will also need for goods that require minimal handling to prevent the possibility of damages.

It is also good for situations where you will have enough space and capacity to accommodate a whole container.

Quality Certifications needed when Shipping from India to USA

You must also be very careful when shipping from India to the USA by ensuring you have high-quality products.

You can confirm that the products are of high quality by checking the quality certifications.

Here are the main quality certifications that you will have to look at.

• International Standards Organization (ISO) Quality Certifications
• UKAS Quality Certifications
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Quality Certifications
• Customer Satisfaction Quality Certifications
• ACM Quality Certifications
• Risk Free Guarantee Satisfaction

Amount of Duty to Pay when Shipping from India to USA

The amount of duty that you will pay for importing goods from India to USA will depend on the type of goods.

First, you will have to know the commodity code of the goods you are importing from India to the USA.

After that, you will apply the import duty rates under the HS codes of the products you are importing.

For instance, when importing umbrellas from India to the USA, you will get a duty classification of 6.5%.

With that duty code, you will apply it to the total value of umbrellas which is 28,000 US dollars.

In other words, you will have a duty cost by multiplying 6.5% by 28,000 US dollars.

The total duty that you will pay for the umbrellas is 1,820 US Dollars.

How to Calculate Landed Cost when Shipping from India to the USA

When shipping from India to the USA, you will get the total amount of money to pay by calculating the landed cost.

You can use the simple landed cost formula to make everything simple and clear for you to use.

Here is the formula that you can use in the calculation of the landed cost.

Landed Cost = Product Price + Shipping Price + Customs Duties + Risk Cost + Overhead Cost

In other words, you will find the total sum of all the prices associated with importing the products.

You can also use the inventory management software which automatically calculates the total landed cost.

When calculating the landed cost, here are additional tools and resources that you will use.

• International Shipping Calculators
• Tac and Duty Calculator Shopify Apps
• Duty Calculators
• Currency Calculators
• Online VAT Calculators

How to Ship from India to Amazon FBA

You might go through a hard time setting up your shipment from India to Amazon FBA.

Well, with enough practice you will be a pro when it comes to shipping the products to Amazon FBA.

Here is a step-by-step process that you can follow when shopping from India to Amazon FBA.

Step One: Finding the Goods

First, you will have to log in to the Amazon website and go to the seller central on the Amazon website.

Under seller central, you will go to “Manage Inventory” and then find the goods that you are looking for.

After that, you will proceed to send or replenish the inventory of goods you would like to purchase.

Step Two: Detailing the Addresses

If you did not specify the addresses before, you have to give all the details of the addresses here.

Implying that, you will fill in the slot with the address where goods are coming from.

In this case, we are getting the shipment from India to Amazon FBA before detailing the type of products.

After that, you will confirm every detail by clicking on the “Continue to Shipping Plan” button.

Step Three:  Additional Details

At this point, you will give details about the number of goods that you will be importing from India.

You will continue with the process by detailing whether the supplier should prepare the goods before sending to Amazon.

In other words, you will specify whether you need to place the goods in bubble wraps, or boxes among others.

Apart from that you will detail how you want to label the products and enter every important detail.

Step Four: Confirmation Stage

Finally, you will provide the details of which Amazon FBA you would like the goods to go to.

Here, you can decide to provide details about different destination points or simply one destination point.

After that, you will allow the website to calculate the total cost which you will pay and let Amazon complete the job.

Role of Customs Broker when Shipping from India to USA

With enough information on the legal requirements and terms, you will need customs brokers to connect you with the government.

In other words, customs brokers often act as the main link between the importer and the government.

Here are some of the activities that you will can perform with the help of a customs broker.

Clearing Shipment

You will hire a customs broker to clear your shipment from India to the United States of America.

They will get in touch with all the relevant officials and ensure that your legal goods pass through every inspection.

Preparation of Documentation

You will also use the services of the customs broker in the process of preparing all the documents.

Customs brokers know all the documents that you need for shipping from India to the United States of America.

Customs Valuation

Your customs broker will also help in the determination of value of the goods you would like to import to USA.

After that, he will inform you of the duty you will pay for the goods you are importing from India to USA.

Tariff Classification

Customs brokers also help in the classification of the good you would like to import under the right tariffs.

With this information, you will be able to know how much tariff you will pay for particular types of products.

Trade Consultations and Facilitation

You can also use the customs broker to get in touch with other traders in India and facilitate business.

All you have to do is confirm if the goods are right as the customs brokers negotiate the price you will pay.

Warehousing Services

Customs brokers also have the ability to store your cargo in different warehouses according to the agreements.

They have contacts for numerous warehouses in India and the USA where they can organize for the storage of your goods.

Purchase Order Management

You can also task your customs broker with the management of the import goods from India to the USA.

He will ensure that every detail is in accordance with the law with proper contract signing and agreements.

At BanSar, we can help you with all your shipping from India to the USA.

We offer efficient and cost-effective freight forwarding services to any destination in the world – contact us now.