Importing brass home decor from India to Italy
A practical guide for Italy brands sourcing brass home decor from India — landed economics, duty access, freight transit and the government incentives that make Indian pricing 20% sharper than China.
Why brands import brass home decor from India
Moradabad is a global brass-handicraft centre, and India's edge is the hand-finishing — chasing, engraving and patina work — done at a labour cost China cannot match while keeping the craft. China casts cheaper plain blanks; India wins on decorative, hand-worked pieces and on the lower tariff exposure versus Chinese metalware in Western markets.
Duty & market access into Italy
Italy applies the EU Common Customs Tariff — modest MFN duties and no China-style surcharge on Indian goods. Strong demand for artisan textiles, leather and home decor makes it a natural market, and a concluded EU–India FTA would cut duties further.
Italy is design-driven with sophisticated appreciation for leather, textile and craft, but also a strong domestic craft sector — so Indian suppliers win on price-plus-volume and on categories Italy under-produces. It is an EU market under the Common Customs Tariff, and buyers expect both aesthetic quality and proper material documentation.
What's specific to importing brass home decor
Decorative brass generally lands at low MFN duty. The compliance trigger is end-use: anything that could be read as food-contact or a children's item pulls in heavy-metal (lead) migration limits, so declare the intended use honestly. Brass is dense, so freight is weight-driven — palletisation and accurate weights matter more than cube here.
Getting it there
Shipments typically move FCL or LCL from Mundra or Nhava Sheva to Genoa, La Spezia, Gioia Tauro in 16–22 days by sea, or 3–6 days by air for samples and urgent top-ups. We manage freight booking, customs documentation and the certificate of origin end-to-end, so the goods clear cleanly on arrival.
Customs tip: Obtain an EU EORI number, apply CE marking where required, and budget for Italian import VAT (IVA), which is generally recoverable for VAT-registered importers.
Why India lands cheaper
Under RoDTEP, the Government of India refunds embedded duties worth 1.4% of FOB on brass home decor — a saving Indian factories pass into their quote. Combined with no Section-301 tariff exposure, that is most of why landed cost into Italy runs 20% below China.
Buyer FAQ
Importing brass home decor to Italy — FAQs
- Italy applies the EU Common Customs Tariff — modest MFN duties and no China-style surcharge on Indian goods. Strong demand for artisan textiles, leather and home decor makes it a natural market, and a concluded EU–India FTA would cut duties further.
- Ocean freight runs about 16–22 days from Mundra or Nhava Sheva to Genoa, La Spezia, Gioia Tauro, plus 3–6 days by air for samples and urgent top-ups.
- Yes — EU Common Customs Tariff (EU–India FTA in negotiation). We issue the matching certificate of origin so you can claim any preferential duty you qualify for.
- MOQs start around 150 units at an indicative FOB of $3.00–$25.00 per unit — roughly 20% below comparable China landed cost into Italy.
Import brass home decor from India to Italy, fully managed.
We handle sourcing, QC, freight and documentation end-to-end. You stay focused on growing the brand.