US duties on Indian origin goods were just reduced. What changed and what importers should do now
- 14 hours ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 14-FEB-2026
In early February 2026, the United States rolled back major India related duties that had raised landed cost for many importers since late summer 2025. Two changes matter most for importers and brokers.
1) The extra 25% duty on products of India was eliminated
On February 6, 2026, a new Executive Order modified the prior India duty action, and CBP issued updated operational guidance soon after. The practical effect is that products of India entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 am Eastern on February 7, 2026 are no longer subject to the additional 25% ad valorem duty that had been imposed under the earlier 2025 action.
This is a meaningful reversal from the August 27, 2025 implementation that had added a broad 25% duty layer to most Indian origin imports.
2) The reciprocal tariff level on India was reduced to 18 percent in the new deal framework
In parallel, the White House released materials describing a major United States India trade deal framework in early February 2026. Public reporting around the deal indicates the reciprocal tariff level discussed for Indian goods was reduced from 25% to 18%.
Important nuance: depending on the product, other duties can still apply, including the normal HTS duty rate, Section 232 where applicable, and any antidumping or countervailing duties if your goods fall within the scope of an order.
What SOLO clients should do immediately
Identify your impacted entries by date. - Focus on entries for consumption and warehouse withdrawals on or after February 7, 2026. Those are the transactions CBP guidance ties to removal of the extra India 25% duty.
Remove the terminated Chapter 99 line where applicable. - If your broker filing still includes the India Chapter 99 additional duty line that covered the 25% measure, that should be corrected for eligible entries consistent with CBP guidance.
Recover money on unliquidated entries that already paid the extra duty - For unliquidated entries where the additional duty was deposited, consider a Post Summary Correction to request a refund, consistent with CBP and trade guidance discussing the correction path.
Re model landed cost for India sourcing - Many importers built pricing around the added duties since August 2025. With the extra 25% removed effective February 7, 2026 and the reciprocal rate reduced in the deal framework, it is time to refresh SKU level landed cost models and customer quotes.
Do not assume duty free - Even with these reductions, you still owe the normal HTS duty rate and fees, plus any applicable trade remedies. Treat the tariff rollback as a reduction, not a blanket exemption.
A Quick Example
If a product of India had a normal HTS duty of 2.5 %, and it was previously hit by an additional 25% India duty, removing that extra duty can materially change landed cost. The key is the entry or withdrawal date, with February 7, 2026 being the effective cutoff in CBP guidance.
In Closing
If you import from India, February 2026 brought real duty relief, but only if your entries are dated and filed correctly. SOLO can audit recent India entries, correct Chapter 99 usage, pursue refunds where allowed, and rebuild an accurate landed cost model for your next purchase orders.
