Importing Bed Linen into the USA: HTS Codes, Duties, Labelling and Customs Explained

If you are buying bed linen from India for the US market, the customs and compliance layer is where first-time importers lose money. The fabric decision is the easy part. This guide covers classification, duty, entry paperwork, labelling and how to build a landed-cost model that survives contact with reality.

Step 1: Classify correctly (HTS chapter 63)

Bed linen falls under Harmonized Tariff Schedule Chapter 63 — Other made up textile articles, heading 6302 (bed linen, table linen, toilet linen and kitchen linen).

• 6302.21 — Bed linen, printed, of cotton
• 6302.31 — Bed linen, not printed, of cotton
• 6302.22 — Bed linen, printed, of man-made fibres
• 6302.32 — Bed linen, not printed, of man-made fibres

Duvet inserts and comforters are usually classified under 9404.40, not 6302 — a distinction that changes the duty rate. Bamboo viscose is treated as a man-made fibre, not a natural one — see our fabric comparison guide if you are still choosing between constructions.

Get a binding ruling. US Customs and Border Protection issues binding classification rulings through the eRulings portal, free of charge. For a program you intend to run for years, it is worth doing.

Step 2: Understand your duty exposure

Duty rates on Chapter 63 cotton bed linen have historically sat in the mid-single digits to low teens, and trade policy on textiles has been volatile. Because rates change with policy, treat any figure you read online — including this one — as a starting point, and confirm the current rate for your exact HTS line with your customs broker before you commit to a price list.

Ask your broker for:

1. The current general (Column 1) rate for your HTS line
2. Any Section 301 or additional tariff actions in force
3. Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) and Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF)
4. Whether your goods qualify for any preference program

Step 3: Entry paperwork

Your customs broker files the entry, but you supply the documents:

• Commercial invoice — with correct HTS, unit values, fibre content, and Incoterm
• Packing list — carton count, dims, gross/net weight
• Bill of lading — ocean BL or telex release
• Customs bond — single-entry for a one-off, continuous bond if you import regularly (a continuous bond usually pays for itself after 3–4 shipments)
• ISF 10+2 filing — must be filed at least 24 hours before the container is loaded at origin. Late ISF carries a $5,000 penalty; this is the single most common first-timer mistake.
• Textile declaration — fibre content and country of origin

Step 4: FTC labelling — non-negotiable

Every sheet set sold in the US needs:

• Fibre content by weight percentage, generic names ("100% Cotton", not "Egyptian Luxury")
• Country of origin — "Made in India"
• Manufacturer, importer or dealer identity — either the full business name or an RN number issued free by the FTC
• Care labelling per 16 CFR Part 423 — washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and (if needed) dry-cleaning instructions

Care labels must be permanently attached and legible for the useful life of the product. Sew-in satin or printed twill labels both work; heat-transfer labels frequently fail after 20 washes.

Step 5: CPSC and product safety

Sheets themselves are generally outside the mattress flammability standards (16 CFR 1632 and 1633), but filled products, children's bedding and anything marketed for cribs carry additional obligations, including a Children's Product Certificate and third-party testing for products intended for children 12 and under. If any part of your line touches kids' bedding, get a compliance review before production, not after.

Step 6: Build the landed-cost model

A realistic per-unit landed cost for a queen sheet set from India to a US warehouse looks like this:

Divide the fixed costs across the container. A 40HQ holding 4,000–6,000 sheet sets amortises brokerage and drayage down to cents; a 200-unit air shipment does not.

Step 7: Transit times and buffer

• India (Mundra / Nhava Sheva) to US East Coast via Suez: 28–38 days
• India to US West Coast via Pacific: 24–32 days
• Add 7–10 days for customs clearance, drayage and 3PL receiving

Production lead time is typically 45–60 days after PO and deposit — our full order process sets out each stage. So plan 90–110 days from PO to sellable inventory. Diwali (October/November) and monsoon-season port congestion are real; build buffer.

Step 8: Payment structure

• 30% advance against PO
• 70% against scanned bill of lading, or L/C at sight for larger programs

Never pay 100% upfront on a first order. A supplier confident in their production will not ask you to.

Working with an Indian mill that knows the US market

Royal Mills is an ISO 9001:2015 certified bed linen manufacturer in Ahmedabad, India, shipping to US retail, hospitality and Amazon FBA buyers. See our United States export program for market-specific detail. We produce to US sizing, apply FTC-compliant sew-in labels, handle UPC and FNSKU application at the factory, and palletise to your 3PL's spec. Request a quote with your SKU grid and target landed cost, and we will come back within 24 hours.

Related pages

• United States export program — US-specific shipping, documentation and lead times
• Wholesale bed sheets — bulk pricing and MOQs for importers
• Amazon FBA bed sheets — FNSKU, polybag and carton prep at the factory
• Bed sheets and duvet covers — HTS 6302 categories
• Comforters and duvet inserts — HTS 9404.40 categories
• Custom bedding and private label — labelling and branding to US spec
• Our order process — sampling, PO, production and shipping stages
• US bed sheet sizes explained — get sizing right before you import