Zero extra US tariff on Indian spices: what changes for US importers

What the US has actually decided on spices

US tariff policy on Indian goods has changed several times in twelve months, and the headline "zero duty on Indian spices" compresses a sequence that is easy to misread. Here is the sequence, with the primary text where we could read it.

The last row is the one that matters today. The USTR notice of 23 July 2026 imposes a 10% additional tariff on products of India "except as provided in Annex I and Annex II, Part A". Annex II, Part A ("Goods of Any Investigated Economy") lists, among other spices, pepper of the genus Piper (HTS 0904.11.00 whole, 0904.12.00 crushed or ground), cloves (0907.10.00 and 0907.20.00) and cardamoms (0908.31.00 whole, 0908.32.00 crushed or ground). The annex states that products properly classified in a listed provision are not covered by the action. It applies to goods entered on or after 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on 24 July 2026.

So the accurate version of the headline is "no additional Section 301 tariff on these spices", not "no duty of any kind".

Why the order of events matters

The November 2025 order and the February 2026 deal were both built on the reciprocal tariff that the Supreme Court ruling removed. If you read older trade coverage quoting 50% or 18% on India, or a zero-duty exemption "from the reciprocal tariff", it describes a regime that no longer exists. The exemption did not simply carry over: the July notice has its own annexes, and spices were listed again in them.

Two cautions follow. First, an annex lists tariff lines, not trade names. Whether your shipment falls in a listed line depends on how it is classified at entry. Second, the July notice recounts that the exemptions USTR proposed earlier included certain products that "cannot be grown or produced in sufficient quantities in the United States or obtained from other sources". Tariff policy has moved several times this year, so check the current annex on the date of entry, not once at the start of the season.

Duty beyond the additional tariff is a separate line. The notice does not tell you the ordinary (most-favoured-nation) rate for a given product; that comes from the general column of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. Ask your customs broker for the rate and the classification they will use.

What still applies at the US border

A tariff exemption changes what you pay at entry. It does not change what the FDA expects. The points below are a general description from FDA pages, not legal advice, and your customs broker or regulatory adviser should confirm what applies to your shipment.

• Prior notice. Under 21 CFR 1.279, prior notice of an incoming food shipment must reach FDA no less than 2 hours before arrival by road, 4 hours by rail or air, and 8 hours by water. Under 21 CFR 1.281 the notice information is required "for each article of food".
• Food facility registration. FDA says facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold food for consumption in the United States must register, and registrations must be renewed every other year. Ask your supplier whether its facility is registered.
• FSVP. FDA defines the importer as the US owner or consignee of the food. Under the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs rule, the importer must keep a separate programme for each food and each foreign supplier, run a hazard analysis, approve suppliers on a risk basis and carry out verification activities such as sampling and testing, review of supplier food-safety records or audits. This falls on the importer, not on the exporter.
• Import alerts. FDA uses import alerts for products with a history of violations. Goods covered by "detention without physical examination" can be held at the border unless the importer shows the violation does not apply. Some alerts are firm-specific, and a supplier's name on one is a real delivery risk. We cover the Salmonella alert in our guide to EU pesticide limits and ethylene oxide.

For documents you can ask a supplier for before shipment, see the same guide, and for grade wording on a purchase order, see cardamom grades explained.

Landed cost: more than duty

With the additional tariff at nil for listed lines, duty stops being the biggest swing factor. These are the lines worth pricing before you compare quotations.

Freight figures are one outlet's reporting on one date and move with the Red Sea situation. Treat them as a reason to ask for a current freight quotation, not as a budget number.

What to do before your next order

1. Ask your customs broker for the HTS classification and current rates for each spice and form you buy (whole or ground).
2. Check the current tariff annex for your entry date.
3. Confirm the supplier's facility registration and whether it appears on any import alert.
4. Confirm your FSVP: who is the importer, what hazard analysis exists and which verification activities you will run.
5. Ask for current freight and transit time with each quotation.

How PureNest can help

PureNest Ventures supplies Idukki-origin green cardamom and black pepper, along with cardamom seed and cloves, from Kerala, India. We supply retail, HoReCa, export and food-manufacturing buyers in India and overseas, and every order is quoted on request.

A product specification is agreed and shared with every quotation. Batches and lots are tested regularly by authorised laboratories, based on production and sourcing. A Certificate of Analysis (COA) is issued for each tested batch or lot. Every shipment comes with a Certificate of Origin issued by the chamber of commerce. More detail is on our quality and documents page. We also send a sample of the lot for your approval.

Tell us the product, grade, quantity and destination, and request a quotation from this page.