To import tiles from India to the USA you need an importer of record, a customs bond, a correct HTS classification and tiles that meet the standard your customers specify. There is no mandatory national certification mark for ceramic tiles, so tile import regulations in the USA work mainly through specifications and customs rules.
The standard buyers and specifiers use is ANSI A137.1. The ANSI A137.1 tile standard explains it, and the supplier's test report should show compliance.
What standards do US buyers ask for?
Distributors and contractors usually ask for ANSI A137.1 compliance on the test report. Wet-area flooring commonly adds a dynamic coefficient of friction requirement, often tested under ANSI A326.3. Neither is a licence to import, but a tile that cannot show them is hard to sell.
Confirm with your customer which edition and which tests they require, and get the factory to test to those, not to its own default list. Tests to order before shipment lists the usual ones.
What does US Customs need at entry?
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processes the entry, normally through a licensed customs broker. For ocean freight, the broker files the importer security filing before the vessel loads, so the factory's details must be ready early. Typical documents are:
- A commercial invoice naming the exact exporter, the goods and the HTS code.
- A packing list that matches the cartons, sizes and quantities.
- A bill of lading from the carrier.
- A continuous or single-entry customs bond.
What about marking and duty?
US law requires imported goods to show their country of origin, so cartons and, where practicable, the product should be marked as made in India. Agree the marking with the factory before production, not at loading.
Duty has two layers. The first is the normal tariff for the HTS code, which depends on water absorption and size. The second is trade remedy duty. As of October 2026 the US applies a countervailing duty on ceramic tile from India, with rates that depend on the exporter, and other US tariffs on Indian goods have changed several times. Our duties article gives the dated position, and your broker must confirm the total before you order.
How do you keep the paperwork clean?
Use the same company name on the contract, invoice and export papers, because the countervailing rate follows the named exporter. The documents needed for tile exports from India lists the pack your broker will ask for, and the founding article on the document pack covers it in general terms.
For ocean cargo, the broker needs data such as the manufacturer's name and address and the container stuffing location for the importer security filing before the vessel loads. Late or wrong data can bring penalties, so ask the factory for its legal name, address and loading point at the order stage, not at loading.
Ask your broker to confirm the HTS classification before you order. It depends on whether the tile is glazed, its water absorption and its size, and a wrong code can mean the wrong duty.
Next step
We check that the factory's test reports match your customer's specification, confirm the exporter name and rate before you pay a deposit, and supervise loading. To plan a US order, book a free sourcing review.