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How to export from India to the US with Amazon?

The demand for Indian products in the US is growing by leaps and bounds. Many sellers and MSMEs from India are benefitting from this increasing exports. In this blog, we tell you how to export from India to the US — from documents required to what products to sell.

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The US is one of the leading e-commerce markets in the world with customers increasingly opting for online shopping. According to Statista, over 230 million customers in the USA are expected to have browsed or bought products online at least once by the end of 2021¹. Among the millions of products available in the US market, Indian goods are high in demand, thus opening up opportunities for sellers from India. In 2019, India's exports to the US were at $87.4 billion and rose by 14% in December 2020².

An easy and hassle-free option for Indian sellers is e-commerce export programs. Bringing together its wide customer base and reach across the world, Amazon Global Selling enables Indian sellers to start an export business without the requirement of setting up a store or warehouse in the US. From easy registering to attractive product listing and seamless shipping, Amazon’s state-of-the-art tools and solutions assist sellers in making their business a global brand.

In this blog, we tell you the process to register with Amazon to export from India to the US in a simple and seamless manner. First off, an aspiring global seller will be required to obtain an Importer Exporter Code (IEC).

What is a Surrender Bill of Lading?

How to obtain IEC?

IEC is a 10 digit business identification number provided by DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade) that allows Indian sellers to export their products globally. An IEC is the key to carrying out imports and exports of any product or service beyond the national boundaries. Here's how you can apply for IEC:

Log in to your account on the DGFT website. Go to services and click on apply for IEC.
Enter your PAN card details, mobile number, and email ID.
Fill in the further required information and submit. You will be asked to provide necessary information both personal as well as about your business.
Verify with the OTP received on your mobile number.
Pay the required fees and submit your application. Your IEC certificate will be generated by the DGFT within a period of 10 to 15 days after submitting the application.

Visit Exports Compliance Dashboard to obtain your documents

How to export from India to the US with Amazon?

With billions of monthly visits to Amazon US, Amazon Global Selling opens up opportunities for Indian sellers to reach new customers and increase their sales through an export business. Wondering how to export from India to the US? Below are the steps to get started:

Registration

Choose the products you want to export from India. Then, you can register with Amazon Global Selling to start exporting to the US.

You can create your Amazon seller account to sell in North America - the US, Canada, and Mexico marketplaces. Complete the Amazon seller registration by providing your business information, KYC details and IEC, along with a few other marketplace-specific documentation like FDA (varies across regions and categories).

Product listing

Once registered, you can start listing your products on Amazon US. Amazon listing process is easy and simple.

To list your product, you need to have your product SKU details (e.g. Barcode, UPC, EAN) and in some cases, product information (features, model number, size, expiry date, etc).

Fulfillment and shipping

You can deliver your global orders with Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) in a seamless and hassle-free way. All you have to do is ship your products to international fulfillment centers. By using Amazon FBA for international selling, you can focus on your business expansion while Amazon handles storage, pick-up, delivery and customer care.

When a customer in the USA purchases your product on Amazon, you can choose to deliver by yourself by opting for a third party service.

Explore Amazon SEND

Payments and expansion

You will receive payments to your account on completion of sales in the currency of your choice.

Once you've started exporting to the USA, you can focus on expanding your global business by utilizing Amazon’s international tools and services.

Learn about the steps and cost to sell on Amazon USA

What products to export to the USA?

As an exporter, you can choose from 30+ product categories to export from India to the USA. Understanding the products that are in demand and that match your business goals is an important step in the process of starting an export business. Below are a few top products you can choose from:

Leather goods
Tea and coffee
Textile and jewellery
Ayurveda and herbal beauty products
Sports goods and toys
Spices and consumables
Organic and personal care

What is FDA?

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a government agency that helps ensure the safety, quality, and effectiveness of medical and food products for export to the USA. A few export products like medical, food, cosmetics, etc are regulated by the FDA and thus, need to meet the same laws and regulations. It is like an entry pass required by food, drug, or medical instrument manufacturers to be able to sell in the USA. How to get FDA approval depends on the type of product you are exporting to the USA. However, some products don't require an approval, while a few businesses might need to be registered with FDA³. An FDA agent can assist you in procuring a certification or registration, depending on your business and products. Here are the steps to initiate the process:

1. Complete the initial registration.
2. Pay the annual registration fee.
3. Submit the registration electronically.
4. Receive email confirmation and certificate by FDA.

Know more about FDA here

Why export from India with Amazon Global Selling?

Starting and managing your Amazon export business has become easier than ever for Indian sellers, thanks to state-of-the-art logistic solutions and tools. With its easy-to-use tools and a seamless registration process, exporters can expand their business and sell on Amazon USA with the assistance of Amazon Global Selling. With access to Amazon's millions of customers worldwide, geography no longer limits Indian sellers, opening export opportunities to 200+ countries and territories. Selling on Amazon presents a powerful worldwide channel for businesses of all kinds with no initial expenditures of developing a website or setting up a physical store.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I export from India to the USA?

You can epxlore and choose from 30+ product categories to export from India to the USA. After understanding what products are in demand and how you would like to sell them, you can register with Amazon and start exporting.

Can I sell on Amazon USA from India?

Yes. By registering to sell with Amazon Global Selling, Indian sellers can easily export to USA, Canada and Mexico with one account. Learn more about the price to sell on Amazon USA here.

Is it mandatory to have an international bank account?

No. You can use your existing Indian bank account. Amazon converts USD revenue into INR and credits the same amount directly into your bank account.

Does Amazon provide support if there is any language barrier in dealing with the foreign buyers?

Many sellers take help from Amazon's translation support tools/third party translation service providers. Amazon also provides the BIL (Business International Listing) tool that helps you list all your products with offers and prices in the native languages of all the marketplaces. It also translates the product description and other details to make it understandable for the buyer.

Published on August 20, 2021.

Sources:

¹ https://www.statista.com/statistics/183755/number-of-us-internet-shoppers-since-2009/
² https://www.livemint.com/news/india/indian-exports-to-us-jumps-by-14-to-4-9-billion-in-december-11613453064345.html
³ https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/office-global-operations/india-office

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*Map not to scale. The map has been used for design and representational purpose only, it does not depict the geographical boundaries of the country. These do not conform to the external boundaries of India recognized by the Survey of India.

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