Sea Freight from India to the US and Canada: What to Expect

Home textiles ship from India to the US and Canada by sea, leaving Nhava Sheva and arriving at a North American port your forwarder has booked. Under FOB the ocean leg and the import are yours to run, so plan for roughly three to six weeks in transit depending on the coast and the routing, plus a customs entry at the far end. Budget that transit time on top of production, not inside it, because the two clocks run one after the other.

This guide covers the part of the journey that begins once the container is loaded: the routes across the water, how long they take, and what US and Canadian customs expect before the goods can land. Who pays for each leg and where risk passes is a separate question, answered in the incoterms guide. How a container reaches the ship in the first place is covered in the guide on how a shipment leaves India.

The route: which coast, which ocean

There is no single sailing from India to North America. The routing depends on which coast you are importing into, and it changes the transit time more than the freight rate does.

Destination	Common gateway ports	Typical routing	Approximate transit
US East Coast	New York/New Jersey, Savannah, Charleston, Norfolk	Via the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean	About 25 to 35 days
US Gulf	Houston	Via Suez, onward from the East Coast rotation	About 30 to 40 days
US West Coast	Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle/Tacoma	Trans-Pacific, usually transhipped at an Asian hub	About 30 to 40 days
Canada East	Montreal, Halifax	Via Suez and the North Atlantic	About 28 to 38 days
Canada West	Vancouver, Prince Rupert	Trans-Pacific, usually transhipped	About 30 to 42 days

Two things move these figures. First, few sailings from Nhava Sheva run direct: most tranship through a hub such as Colombo, Singapore or a Mediterranean port, and each transhipment adds days and a small risk of a missed connection. Second, disruption on the Suez and Red Sea route has at times pushed carriers around the Cape of Good Hope, which lengthens the East Coast and European-Atlantic legs considerably. Treat the ranges above as planning figures and ask your forwarder for the actual routing and schedule reliability on the service they propose.

What you file to bring textiles into the US

US import is a documentary process that starts before the vessel even sails. The single item first-time shippers miss is the Importer Security Filing, the "ISF" or "10+2": ten data elements the importer supplies and two from the carrier, transmitted to US Customs and Border Protection at least 24 hours before the container is loaded at Nhava Sheva. Because it is due before loading, it sits against the origin cut-offs, so your customs broker needs the shipment details early. A late or missing ISF draws a penalty.

To clear the goods you also need:

• A customs bond. A single-entry bond covers one shipment; a continuous bond covers a year and is cheaper once you import regularly.
• A customs broker. They file the entry electronically, classify the goods and calculate duty. You are not obliged to use one, but for a first shipment it is the sensible choice.
• Tariff classification and duty. Bedding, table linen and made-up textiles are classified under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, and textiles sit among the higher-duty categories, so the rate is worth knowing before you price a range. Your broker confirms the exact line. A certificate of origin stating the goods were made in India supports any preferential rate your programme qualifies for.

Labelling is the importer's responsibility, not the manufacturer's. US goods need fibre content, the manufacturer or importer identity such as an RN number, and country of origin marked "Made in India", with care instructions under the separate care-labelling rule. Agree the exact wording and placement in your specification so it is built into production rather than fixed at the border.

Bringing textiles into Canada

Canada runs its own system, and it has changed. Imports clear through the Canada Border Services Agency, and commercial importers now register in the CARM Client Portal, the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management system, and post their own financial security rather than relying on a broker's bond. If you are importing into Canada for the first time, set up your CARM account and security before the goods sail, or the entry stalls.

Ports split the same way as the US. Vancouver and Prince Rupert take Pacific sailings on the west; Montreal, reached up the St Lawrence, and Halifax take Atlantic sailings on the east. Duty classification follows Canada's Customs Tariff, and a broker handles the entry as in the US.

Canadian textile labelling has its own rules under the Textile Labelling Act. Fibre content must be shown in both English and French, and the label must carry a dealer identity, either the full name and address or a registered CA identification number. This bilingual requirement is the detail that catches brands who prepared labels for the US market alone, so plan the artwork for both countries if you sell into each.

How this sits with your production timeline

The transit is the last stretch of a longer schedule, and it is additive. Bulk runs from 60 days FOB after sample approval, and the sea voyage begins only once the goods are loaded, so a US or Canadian buyer counting back from a shelf date should add the transit ranges above, plus a few days for import clearance, on top of that production window. A trial order that does not fill a container can still ship this lane as a part-container load consolidated with other cargo, which suits the minimum from 50 pieces. For how sampling and production sit ahead of the shipping stage, see private label; to get a shipment quoted on the term and routing that suit your setup, contact us.

Common questions

How long does shipping take from India to the US?

Plan on roughly 25 to 35 days in transit to the US East Coast and 30 to 40 days to the West Coast, before import clearance. Transhipment and any diversion around the Cape of Good Hope can extend both, so confirm the schedule on the specific service your forwarder books rather than assuming a fixed figure.

Do I need a customs broker for a first small order?

You are not legally required to, but it is strongly advised. A broker files the entry, classifies the goods correctly and handles the bond, which is where a first-time importer is most likely to make a costly error. The cost is modest against a delayed or misclassified shipment.

What is different about importing into Canada rather than the US?

Two things stand out. Canada now requires importers to register in the CARM portal and post their own security, and Canadian labels must show fibre content in both English and French with a dealer identity. Prepare for both before the goods sail if Canada is a target market.

Who arranges the sea freight to North America?

Under FOB, you do, through your own forwarder, which is why you see the real freight cost and control the routing. If you would rather the supplier carry the sea leg on a first shipment, CIF or CFR is available on request, with the trade-off in visibility set out in the incoterms guide.