Question 1

What does the India-UK CETA mean for my import costs?

Accepted Answer

The India-UK Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement, in force from 15 July 2026, eliminates UK import duty on 99% of Indian tariff lines. That includes textiles and clothing (previously about 12%), leather and footwear (about 16%), engineering goods and auto components (about 18%), and chemicals (about 8%). Because China still pays the standard UK tariff on these categories, switching to Indian suppliers gives you a direct landed-cost saving on a huge range of products.

Question 2

What are the best products to import from India to the UK?

Accepted Answer

India has deep manufacturing capacity across many categories. Some of the strongest export lines for UK buyers include bed linen, apparel, leather goods, auto components, hand tools, and specialty chemicals. With the CETA duty elimination now applying to almost all tariff lines, many product categories that were previously marginal become highly competitive on a landed-cost basis compared to other sourcing countries.

Question 3

What are typical minimum order quantities, and can I get samples first?

Accepted Answer

Minimum order quantities vary by product and factory. Textile and apparel manufacturers often start at a few hundred pieces, while engineering goods or chemical suppliers may quote per tonne or per container. Most Indian factories are willing to send paid samples before you commit to a production order. Sauda can negotiate sample terms on your behalf and confirm pricing before you place any order.

Question 4

How do I pay an Indian supplier safely?

Accepted Answer

The most common payment methods are bank wire transfer (TT), letters of credit (LC), and increasingly, escrow or trade-finance platforms. A typical arrangement is 30% advance payment with the balance against a copy of the bill of lading. Letters of credit offer extra protection for larger orders. Sauda only presents quotes from suppliers whose GST filings and returns we have checked, which reduces the risk of dealing with unregistered or non-compliant entities.

Question 5

How long does shipping from India to the UK take?

Accepted Answer

Sea freight from major Indian ports (Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Chennai) to UK ports such as Felixstowe or Southampton typically takes 18 to 25 days depending on the route and carrier. Production lead times vary by product, but most factories quote 3 to 6 weeks for a standard order. Sauda includes estimated lead times in every quote so you can plan your inventory accordingly.

Question 6

Is Sauda really free, and how does it verify suppliers?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Sauda is completely free for buyers. We act as your concierge, finding Indian factories that match your requirements, contacting and calling them, negotiating on price, and returning the cheapest live quotes within 24 hours. Before we present any supplier, we check their GST filings and returns to confirm they are real, active, and tax-compliant. This verification step means you only deal with genuine, compliant factories rather than trading companies or dormant registrations.

	India	China	Vietnam
Import duty	Zero duty (India-UK CETA, from 15 Jul 2026)	Full UK MFN tariff	Reduced (UK-Vietnam FTA)
Typical MOQ	Smaller and flexible	Higher, often thousands	Moderate to high
Communication	English-speaking factories	Often via agents or translators	Improving, varies
Lead time	Competitive, varies by category	Fast, mature logistics	Competitive
Best known for	Textiles, leather, chemicals, engineering	Large-scale, electronics, machinery	Apparel and footwear assembly

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