How to Import a Wedding Mandap from India: Steps, Paperwork and Costs

Most families never import anything. They order a mandap and it shows up. Decorators and rental companies do the import themselves, and it is worth knowing what that involves before you choose how to buy.

Three ways to buy, and who does the work

Delivered, duty paid (DDP). We act as the importer. You get one price in dollars, and the crates arrive at your venue or warehouse. No customs paperwork on your side. This is what most couples and planners choose.

CIF to a US port. We pay freight and insurance to the port. You hire a customs broker, clear the shipment, and arrange trucking from the port yard.

FOB Mundra. We hand the goods over at the Indian port. You book the ocean freight, the insurance and everything after it. This gives you the most control and needs the most experience.

What an importer has to arrange

If you clear the shipment yourself, plan on these pieces:

A customs broker. They file the entry and classify each item. Pick one who has handled furniture or decor before.
A customs bond. Commercial shipments generally need one. Your broker can arrange a single-shipment bond if you only import occasionally.
The importer security filing. For ocean freight, it has to be filed before the container is loaded in India, so your broker needs the shipment details early.
The documents. Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and certificate of origin. We prepare the invoice, packing list and certificate of origin. The bill of lading comes from the shipping line.
Wood packaging that meets the international standard. Wooden crates must be heat treated and stamped (the standard is called ISPM 15). Ask any seller to confirm this before the goods ship.
Plant declarations for some carved wood items. Your broker will tell you if a piece needs one.

Where the money goes

Landed cost is more than the factory price. Expect these lines: ocean freight, customs duty, a merchandise processing fee, a harbor maintenance fee, the broker's charge, port or warehouse handling, and trucking to you. Duty depends on how each item is classified and on trade rules in force on the day it is entered, so ask your broker for the current rate instead of trusting an old blog post, including this one.

Ask for a landed-cost sheet before you commit. If a seller cannot give you one, you are guessing.

Full container or shared space

A full container makes sense when you have enough pieces to fill most of it. Below that, shared (LCL) space costs more per cubic meter and takes longer, because your goods wait for other cargo to consolidate at both ends.

What delays a shipment

A customs exam can add days and a handling bill. Missing paperwork adds more. Port congestion is outside anyone's control, which is why we tell people to order four to six months ahead of the event, not three.

So should you import it yourself?

If you buy a handful of pieces a year, delivered pricing is usually less work and about the same money once you count broker and handling fees. If you move containers regularly, FOB or CIF with your own broker can save real money, and our trade program is built for that.

Not sure which fits? Tell us what you plan to order and we will quote it both ways.