Customs duty from United States to India: Import Duty Guide

Key Takeaways

• There’s no comprehensive US-India free trade agreement - a February 2026 deal cut tariffs reciprocally in both directions without becoming a formal FTA.
• India committed to eliminate or reduce tariffs on a wide range of US goods - industrial products, medical devices, ICT products, agriculture, and energy - as its side of the February 2026 arrangement.
• No single precise percentage for India’s overall tariff cut on US goods has been published in the sources reviewed for this page - official language describes broad categories rather than one headline number.
• Broader Bilateral Trade Agreement negotiations between the US and India continued past the February 2026 deal, with both sides still engaging as of July 2026.
• India and the US have reaffirmed a target of doubling bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.

USA-India Trade at a Glance

India’s imports from the US reached $52.90 billion in India’s 2026 fiscal year, up from $45.63 billion the year before - placing the US among India’s top import sources, at roughly 6.6% of India’s total imports. Mineral fuels and crude oil, precious stones, electrical machinery, and industrial machinery dominate what the US sells into India.

Is There a Trade Deal Between the USA and India?

Not a comprehensive one - what exists is a narrower, reciprocal arrangement. On 2 February 2026, the US and India announced a deal that cut US tariffs on Indian goods from 50% to 18% (the headline story on the US side, covered in depth on this site’s India to USA lane page). In exchange, India committed to eliminate or reduce its own tariffs on a wide range of US goods - officially described as covering industrial goods broadly, plus specific mention of medical devices, information and communications technology products, agriculture, and energy (White House fact sheet, February 2026). No single precise aggregate percentage for India’s own tariff reduction was found in official sources - treat any specific number you encounter elsewhere with caution.

This February 2026 deal is a real, negotiated step, but not a finished comprehensive trade agreement - broader Bilateral Trade Agreement talks between the two countries were reported as still ongoing as of July 2026, continuing past the February arrangement (Manila Times, July 2026).

How Much Will You Pay Importing from the USA to India?

For the categories covered by the February 2026 deal - industrial goods broadly, plus medical devices, ICT products, agriculture, and energy - expect a reduced or eliminated tariff, though this site can’t confirm an exact rate for every specific product without a fixed published schedule. For goods outside those categories, India’s standard duty stack applies: Basic Customs Duty (typically 0-20% for most consumer goods), a Social Welfare Surcharge equal to 10% of the BCD amount, and Integrated GST at 5-28% depending on category, calculated on the combined total. India has no general duty-free threshold for commercial imports of any value - every dutiable shipment is taxed from the first rupee, with only a narrow ₹5,000 exemption for genuine personal gifts that explicitly excludes disguised e-commerce purchases.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a US-India free trade agreement?

Not a comprehensive one. A February 2026 deal reciprocally cut tariffs in both directions - the US lowered tariffs on Indian goods, and India committed to reducing tariffs on a range of US goods - but broader trade agreement talks were still ongoing as of mid-2026.

What categories of US goods benefit from lower Indian tariffs?

Industrial goods broadly, plus specific mention of medical devices, ICT products, agriculture, and energy, per the official February 2026 announcement - though no single precise overall percentage has been published.

Does the same deal explain the US tariff cuts on Indian goods?

Yes - it’s the same reciprocal arrangement. See this site’s India to USA lane page for the US-side story, where tariffs on Indian goods fell from a 2025 peak of 50% to 18% under this deal.

Is there a minimum order value below which India charges no duty on US goods?

No - India has no general low-value exemption for commercial imports, regardless of origin. Only a narrow ₹5,000 exemption for genuine personal gifts exists, and it doesn’t cover e-commerce purchases.