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India Import Duty Rate for Clothing & Apparel

HS 61 / 62 · Articles of apparel and clothing accessories

India MFN Import Duty Rate

Live

20%

on CIF value

India–ASEAN: lower

BCD 20% on most garments. IGST 5–12%. Total ~27–35%.

How duty is calculated

CIF value

Product cost + international freight + insurance

Import duty (20%)

Applied to CIF value. EU, UK, and most countries use CIF.

IGST (18%)

Applied to CIF value + duty. Collected at customs.

Use our Landed Cost Calculator to compute the full cost including freight, brokerage, and last-mile delivery.

Worked example: clothing & apparel worth US$10,000

A commercial shipment invoiced at US$10,000 with US$900 of international freight and insurance. India charges duty on the CIF value (goods + freight + insurance), so the duty base is US$10,900. Customs converts the amount to INR at the official exchange rate on the day of import.

Charge	At 20%
Import duty	$2,180
Social Welfare Surcharge (10% of duty)	$218
IGST (18%)	$2,394
Total paid at the border	$4,792

IGST is usually recoverable for a registered business, so the cost that stays with you is the duty and levies. Excise, anti-dumping duties and broker fees are not included.

Classifying clothing & apparel correctly

Chapter 61 covers knitted or crocheted garments and Chapter 62 woven ones; within each, the code depends on garment type, gender and fibre content.

Knitted vs woven is the first question, and it changes the code entirely
The fibre that predominates by weight decides the subheading — a 51% cotton / 49% polyester top is cotton
Men's vs women's is decided by the way the garment closes (left over right is men's)

Compliance. Garments need fibre-content and care labels (EU Textile Regulation, US FTC Textile Act) and, for the US, country-of-origin marking; children's sleepwear and drawstrings have extra safety rules.

Importing into India: what you need

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) assesses duty through the ICEGATE portal; Basic Customs Duty rates are in the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975.

Registration. An Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) from the DGFT and GST registration to claim input credit on IGST.

Low-value shipments. India has no general de minimis for commercial goods. Courier imports under the Courier Imports Regulations have value caps and the full duty stack applies.

Documents customs will ask for

Bill of Entry (filed on ICEGATE)
Commercial invoice and packing list
Bill of lading or air waybill
Certificate of origin for FTA rates (with CAROTAR 2020 origin information)
BIS registration for electronics and other items under compulsory certification

Charges on top of duty

Social Welfare Surcharge: 10% of Basic Customs Duty
IGST at the GST rate of the goods on value + BCD + SWS
Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess on some goods
Anti-dumping and safeguard duties

Watch out. Under CAROTAR 2020 the importer must hold origin information when claiming an FTA rate — a certificate alone is not enough if customs asks.

Frequently asked questions

What is the import duty rate for Clothing & Apparel in India?

The MFN (Most Favoured Nation) import duty rate for Clothing & Apparel (HS 61 / 62) in India is 20% on the CIF value. BCD 20% on most garments. IGST 5–12%. Total ~27–35%.

Is IGST charged on Clothing & Apparel imports to India?

Yes. India charges IGST at 18% on the CIF value plus any import duty. This applies to virtually all commercial imports.

Are there FTA rates available for Clothing & Apparel in India?

Yes. India–ASEAN: lower. SAFTA (South Asia), India–ASEAN FTA, India–Japan CEPA, India–Korea CEPA are the key agreements — verify origin requirements with your customs broker.

How is import duty calculated for Clothing & Apparel entering India?

Duty is calculated on the CIF value of the goods. CIF value includes the product cost, international freight, and insurance. The MFN duty of 20% is applied to this value. IGST (18%) is then applied on the duty-paid value.