India Import & Export Toolkit
Everything an Indian exporter, importer or CHA needs to price a shipment: LC cost in INR on ACT/365 basis, IGST + BCD + SWS landed cost, ITC(HS) classification and Incoterms 2020 risk transfer.
Free calculators for India trade
- · Jawaharlal Nehru (JNPT / Nhava Sheva)
- · Mundra
- · Chennai
- · Kolkata / Haldia
- · Cochin
- · Visakhapatnam
- · Kandla
- · Refined petroleum
- · Pearls & gems
- · Pharmaceuticals
- · Rice (basmati & non-basmati)
- · Iron & steel
- · Textiles & garments
- · Engineering goods
- · Crude petroleum
- · Gold
- · Coal
- · Electronics & mobile phones
- · Machinery
- · Edible oils (palm, soyabean)
- · Fertilisers
Trade finance in India
- · LC currency in INR uses ACT/365 day-count for usance interest calculations - not ACT/360. Our Usance LC Interest Calculator applies this automatically.
- · Indian banks typically quote 0.15-0.25% per quarter for LC issuance, plus GST @ 18% on the fee (not the LC amount). Confirmation from a G7 bank usually adds 0.20-0.50% per quarter.
- · Buyer's Credit / Suppliers' Credit for capital goods imports is regulated under RBI Master Direction on External Commercial Borrowings (ECB). All-in cost ceilings apply.
- · Advance Authorisation, EPCG and MEIS/RoDTEP schemes affect duty and IGST liability - factor them into landed cost before quoting.
Customs & duty in India
- · India uses the ITC(HS) - 8-digit codes based on the 6-digit WCO HS heading. First 6 digits align globally; digits 7-8 are India-specific.
- · Customs valuation follows the Customs Valuation (Determination of Value of Imported Goods) Rules, 2007 - broadly WTO transaction value with adjustments.
- · SWS (Social Welfare Surcharge) is 10% of BCD (0% on many petroleum/gold lines). Health cess of 5% applies to specific medical devices.
- · Assessable value = CIF + 1% landing charges (this 1% add-on was removed post-2017 for most goods but persists in specific tariff lines - verify per HS).
Incoterms 2020 practice in India
- · Most Indian exports move on FOB or CIF. Container cargo should use FCA or CIP - not FOB or CIF - to match the point of physical delivery at CFS/ICD.
- · DDP into India is rarely practical because the seller cannot easily register as an importer of record for IGST recovery. Use DAP instead.
HS commodity guides for India
Classification, duty and worked landed-cost examples for the commodity families most active on India's trade lanes.
Commodities linked to India
India appears in the trade lanes for the commodities below. Each hub covers grades, specs, benchmark pricing and HS code references.
India's key trading partners
Frequently asked questions
Assessable Value (typically CIF) → BCD applied → Social Welfare Surcharge (10% of BCD) → IGST @ 5/12/18/28% on (AV + BCD + SWS) → Compensation Cess if applicable. Use our Import Duty Calculator with the 'India' preset.
ACT/365. So a 90-day usance LC at 8% p.a. on INR 10,000,000 accrues interest of 10,000,000 × 8% × 90/365 = INR 197,260. Our Usance LC Interest Calculator applies this automatically for INR.
Yes. An Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) from DGFT is mandatory for any commercial import or export. Individuals can now use PAN as IEC. Personal-use imports below prescribed limits are exempt.
ITC(HS) - an 8-digit extension of the 6-digit WCO HS. The Indian tariff schedule adds 2 country-specific digits for national duty differentiation.