Import Furniture from India to USA | Solid Wood

Indian furniture occupies a different niche than Chinese: solid hardwood construction — sheesham, mango wood, acacia — hand-finishing, and artisan character that commands premium retail positioning. Alongside furniture, India's handicraft exports (metalware, ceramics, baskets, décor) supply US home retailers and importers building differentiated catalogs.

Jodhpur and Jaipur anchor the furniture belt; Moradabad leads metalware. AGF consolidates from these clusters, manages the wood documentation US customs requires, and delivers to US retailers, warehouses, and e-commerce operations.

Last reviewed: October 2026

Shipping Furniture & Handicrafts from India to USA

Solid wood furniture is heavier and less flat-packable than panel furniture — a 40HC typically carries 40–80 case-good pieces or mixed loads combining furniture with nested handicrafts. Good exporters wrap, corner-protect, and blanket-pack as standard; we verify before loading.

Mixed furniture-plus-décor containers are the norm in this trade: consolidation across two or three workshops fills a container economically and gives US buyers a full collection per shipment.

40HC standard; LCL viable for collection launches and samples
Solid wood needs moisture management — kiln-dried stock and container desiccants
Fragile handicrafts nested inside furniture maximizes container value
Photographic pre-load inspection at origin — our standard practice

What Drives the Cost

Container utilization on bulky solid-wood pieces
Duty rates (most wooden furniture lines free at base rate)
Origin consolidation across workshop clusters
Packing standard — artisan workshops vary; supervision pays
Inland transit from Rajasthan to the port (Mundra/Nhava Sheva)

HS Codes and Duty Notes

Classification guidance only — duty rates change and depend on your exact product. Our licensed customs brokers verify every code before you commit to an order.

HS Code	Products	Notes
9403.60	Wooden furniture	Free base rate for most lines; Indian origin avoids the China-specific Section 301 layers, but upholstered pieces fall under Section 232 and current surcharges on Indian goods should be checked at quoting.
4420 / 7418 / 6913	Wood décor / brass and copper ware / ceramic ornaments	Handicraft lines classify across many chapters at generally modest rates — mixed containers need line-by-line entries.

Regulations and Compliance

Section 232 tariffs on wood products and upholstered furniture

Indian furniture carries none of the AD/CVD exposure that attaches to Chinese cabinets, but Section 232 applies regardless of origin. Since 14 October 2025 the measure has covered softwood timber and lumber, upholstered furniture, and kitchen cabinets and vanities, with scheduled increases postponed to 1 January 2027. Solid-wood case goods and handicrafts may or may not fall inside the covered scope depending on their exact classification — which makes classification, always worth getting right on this commodity, now worth getting right before you buy.

Lacey Act

Solid-wood furniture requires plant-product declarations: species and country of harvest. Sheesham (Dalbergia sissoo) was removed from the CITES appendices in 2023, but other rosewood species remain listed — experienced Indian exporters handle this routinely, but verify the species before first orders.

TSCA Title VI

Applies to composite wood components (drawer bottoms, backs). Predominantly solid-wood pieces have lighter exposure — but mixed construction needs certification.

Food-contact items

Kitchen and tableware handicrafts (wood, metal, ceramic) touch FDA jurisdiction — lead/cadmium limits for ceramics are enforced. Test before you ship, not after refusal.

Door-to-Door Import Service

From Jodhpur workshop to US warehouse: we consolidate, verify Lacey/CITES paperwork with the exporter, ship from Mundra or Nhava Sheva, clear US customs, and deliver — one accountable chain for cargo that started on an artisan's bench.

Retail programs use our partner warehouses for storage and staggered store distribution after a single economical container import.

Ocean Freight Customs Warehousing

Frequently Asked Questions

What paperwork does wooden furniture from India need?

A Lacey Act declaration (wood species and harvest country) at minimum; certain rosewood species carry CITES documentation requirements. Established Jodhpur exporters manage this daily — we verify the papers before the container ships so entries clear cleanly.

Is Indian furniture cheaper to import than Chinese?

Per piece it is often comparable or higher — but it's a different product (solid hardwood, hand-finished) at a different retail position, and Indian origin avoids the China-specific Section 301 layers, which narrows the landed-cost gap — though current surcharges on Indian goods should be checked at quoting.

Can I combine furniture and décor in one container?

Yes — mixed loads are standard practice and usually the smartest use of the container. We consolidate across suppliers and prepare the multi-line customs entry.

Furniture & Handicrafts is just one example. AGF ships whatever your business moves — on this lane and beyond. If your commodity isn't covered by one of our guides, tell us what you ship and we'll build the logistics around it.