Step by step
- Agree terms with your supplier: price, payment and the Incoterm. With FOB you control the ocean booking; with CIF your supplier does.
- Classify the goods: find the HTS number, then estimate duty and any additional tariffs on Indian goods with the tariff simulator.
- Book the shipment: FCL or LCL, from the Indian port nearest your supplier to the US port nearest you.
- File the ISF: at least 24 hours before loading in India, using details your supplier provides.
- Supplier clears Indian export customs: the shipping bill is filed and Customs issues the Let Export Order.
- Track the sailing: follow the container through any transshipment port to the US.
- Clear US Customs: your customs broker files the entry and pays duties and fees; formal entries need a customs bond.
- Deliver: drayage from the port to your warehouse, or onward trucking.
Duties and costs to budget for
- Ocean freight and origin charges (who pays depends on the Incoterm)
- US import duty by HTS number, plus any additional tariffs in force on Indian goods
- Merchandise Processing Fee and Harbor Maintenance Fee on ocean imports
- Customs broker, ISF and bond fees
- Destination port charges and drayage to your door
Tariffs on Indian goods have changed several times recently, so estimate them for your product before you confirm a price with the supplier.
Why a team in India matters
Most problems on India–USA imports happen before the ship leaves: late cargo, missing ISF details, wrong paperwork, untreated pallets. Atmavaan Logistics Pvt Ltd in Chennai works with your supplier at origin, books the space and files the ISF, while Atmavaan, Inc. in the USA handles the arrival side. One company, both ends of the lane.
