Shipping Furniture From India Abroad: Packing, ISPM 15, Customs and What Buyers Should Know

It starts with the timber

A piece of furniture that is perfectly stable in Gujarat can crack in a centrally heated home in the US or Europe, or in a heavily air-conditioned apartment in the Gulf, if its timber was not dried enough. Kiln drying to an appropriate moisture content, and designs that allow wide tops and panels to move, are the first and most important protections. See kiln-dried wood.

Design for the journey

• Knock-down construction for large pieces (beds, big tables, wardrobes), so they pack compactly and survive handling. Joints are designed to be taken apart and reassembled without loss of strength; see our wood joinery guide.
• Fully cured finishes before packing, so wrapping does not mark them.
• Hardware packed separately and labelled, with assembly instructions.

Packing

• Wrap each piece to protect the finish, then protect corners and edges with foam or card corners.
• Fill voids so nothing moves inside the box or crate.
• Use wooden crates for heavy or fragile pieces, and pallets for handling.
• Add moisture absorbers for long sea journeys, where containers can be humid.

ISPM 15: wooden packaging

Any wood packaging material (crates, pallets, dunnage) used in international trade must meet ISPM 15, the international standard for wood packaging. It must be heat treated (the wood core held at 56°C for at least 30 minutes) or fumigated, and stamped with the approved mark. Packaging without the mark can be refused, treated or destroyed at the destination at the importer's cost.

ISPM 15 applies to the packaging, not to finished furniture, which is processed wood.

Sea or air

By sea, smaller orders usually travel LCL (less than container load), consolidated with other cargo; larger orders may fill a container (FCL), which means less handling.

Who does what: Incoterms

The Incoterm in the sale agreement decides who arranges and pays for each stage:

• EXW (ex works): the buyer arranges everything from the workshop.
• FOB (free on board): the seller delivers the goods onto the ship at the Indian port; the buyer handles the rest.
• CIF (cost, insurance and freight): the seller pays freight and insurance to the destination port; the buyer handles import and delivery.
• DDP (delivered duty paid): the seller delivers to the door with duties paid.

Agree this up front, along with insurance for the full value.

Documents and customs

Typical documents include a commercial invoice, a packing list, the bill of lading (sea) or air waybill, and sometimes a certificate of origin. Destination countries can have their own rules for wood products:

• United States: the Lacey Act requires many imported wood products, including furniture, to be declared with the species and country of harvest. The importer or customs broker files the declaration using details from the maker.
• Other countries may require phytosanitary checks or treatment certificates for some wooden goods.

A freight forwarder and a customs broker at the destination handle most of this; the maker supplies accurate species, materials and values.

Checklist for buyers abroad

1. Confirm the timber is kiln-dried and the design allows for movement.
2. Agree the Incoterm, freight mode and insurance.
3. Ask how pieces will be packed and whether crates meet ISPM 15.
4. Check duties and import rules for your country, including wood declarations.
5. Plan delivery and access at your end: stairs, lifts, doors.
6. Ask for assembly instructions and spare fittings.

SAAG furniture abroad

Savistar's furniture brand SAAG makes bespoke solid-wood furniture from kiln-dried timber, and has delivered furniture to clients in the United States as well as across India. See our furniture portfolio, or tell us where you would like your piece delivered.