Shipping Leather Goods & Handicrafts from India to South Korea (2026): Duty, CITES, Fumigation & Packaging
Korean lifestyle stores and online sellers love Indian leather journals, bags and brass, wood and textile handicrafts. Learn the duty position, the two compliance traps (CITES and untreated wood), how to pack fragile décor, and what shipping really costs.
Key takeaways
- Leather goods (HS 4202/6403) and most handicrafts (HS 4420, 7418, 6304, 9403) face 8–13% MFN duty in Korea; CEPA cuts many lines to 0–5% with an EPCH/EIA Certificate of Origin.
- Wooden items need to be heat-treated or fumigated and may need a phytosanitary certificate; exotic-skin leather needs CITES paperwork or will be seized.
- Pack décor in double-wall cartons with 5 cm cushioning on every side — breakage is the number-one handicraft claim.
- Air express DDP from ₹609/kg (21 kg+) in 5–8 days for 20–300 kg lots; sea LCL for furniture and heavy brass above ~500 kg.
Quick answer
Export leather goods and handicrafts from India to South Korea with IEC + GST/LUT, EPCH (handicrafts) or CLE (leather) membership for RCMC benefits, a CEPA Certificate of Origin to reduce Korean duty, phytosanitary/fumigation compliance for wood, CITES clearance for any exotic skin, and strong protective packing. ShipKorea.in ships DDP door-to-door from ₹609/kg in 5–8 days and advises on classification before pickup.
What Korean buyers order from India
Full-grain leather journals, satchels, wallets and belts (Kanpur, Kolkata, Chennai); juttis and leather sandals; brass and copper décor (Moradabad); wooden boxes, carved frames and trays (Saharanpur, Jodhpur); hand-block-printed cushion covers and quilts; papier-mâché and lacquerware (Kashmir, Channapatna); blue pottery (Jaipur); and macramé, jute and dhurrie home items. Korean interior shops on Naver, Instagram-led lifestyle brands and gift companies buy in 20–200 piece lots with frequent repeats.
Registrations and councils
IEC, GST with LUT and an AD code are the base. Join the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) or Council for Leather Exports (CLE) for an RCMC — needed for export incentives such as RoDTEP and useful for buyer credibility. Leather footwear exporters should hold BIS/quality certifications buyers ask for. For wildlife-derived materials (shells, feathers, horn, certain woods like red sanders) check the Wildlife Protection Act and CITES lists before accepting the order.
Duty, VAT and CEPA
Korean MFN duty runs about 8% on leather bags and wallets (HS 4202), 13% on leather footwear (HS 6403), 8% on wooden ornaments (4420), brassware (7418/8306) and ceramics (6912/6913), and 10–13% on textile décor (6304). Under the India–Korea CEPA many of these lines are reduced or duty-free with a Form KIN Certificate of Origin issued by EPCH-recognised agencies or the EIA via the DGFT e-CoO portal. 10% VAT applies on the landed value. We quote the exact preferential rate per 6-digit code before you confirm the order.
Compliance traps: CITES and untreated wood
Two issues stop otherwise perfect shipments. First, CITES: python, crocodile, lizard skins, tortoiseshell, ivory-look bone, certain corals and shells require export permits from India's WCCB and import permits in Korea — most exporters should simply avoid them. Second, wood: Korea's Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) requires wooden articles and wood packaging to be free of bark and pests. Kiln-dried or heat-treated (ISPM 15 marked) pallets/crates and a phytosanitary certificate for raw-finish wooden handicrafts prevent quarantine holds. Painted, lacquered or varnished finished wood is usually cleared on inspection.
Labelling and product safety
Leather goods need a Korean label stating material (genuine leather / composition), manufacturer, importer and origin. Children's products (toys, kids' décor) fall under KC safety certification — avoid marketing handicrafts as toys unless certified. Candles, incense and cosmetics-adjacent items (soaps, oils) are regulated separately — see can I send cosmetics to Korea.
Packing fragile handicrafts for air freight
Wrap each brass, ceramic or wooden piece in bubble wrap, then place in a double-wall (7-ply) carton with at least 5 cm of foam or crumpled kraft on every side; separate pieces with corrugated dividers; keep cartons under 25 kg; and mark 'Fragile — This Side Up'. Leather goods ship in polybags with silica gel inside 5-ply cartons — humidity in the monsoon and Korea's summer causes mould on untreated leather. Our team can repack at the Delhi hub, and shipping insurance covers declared value for breakage.
Shipping methods and costs
Air express door-to-door DDP: ₹749/kg (small lots) to ₹609/kg (21 kg+), 5–8 days — ideal for leather goods and light décor orders of 20–300 kg. Heavy brass, furniture and pottery above ~500 kg move by sea LCL (Mumbai/Chennai → Busan, 4–6 weeks) with fumigated crates. A 30 kg carton of leather journals to Seoul costs about ₹18,270 all-inclusive by air. Compare methods in air vs sea freight India–Korea.
Getting orders
Korean buyers discover Indian craft through Instagram, Etsy-style global platforms and fairs (Seoul Living Design Fair, Home Table Deco Fair). Offer product photos on white background, a Korean-friendly price list in KRW with DDP landed prices, and 10-piece MOQs to start. We hold stock at our Seoul-side warehouse for repeat marketplace orders — see selling on Coupang from India.
