How to Import Korean Cosmetics for Resale (2026): Wholesale Suppliers, MOQ, CDSCO & Landed Cost for Indian Sellers
Nykaa, Amazon, Instagram and quick-commerce sellers are all hunting for reliable K-beauty supply. This guide names the supplier types, shows realistic MOQ and price bands, walks through the CDSCO route and lands on a per-unit cost you can build a business on.
Key takeaways
- Source from brand export teams, authorised Korean distributors/aggregators (B2B exporters that consolidate many brands), or Olive Young-style B2B programmes — not from retail hauls, which cannot be legally resold.
- Typical MOQ for aggregators: ₩1–3 million (₹60,000–₹1.8 lakh) mixed brands; brands direct: ₩5–20 million per order with exclusivity discussions.
- Commercial import requires a CDSCO Import Registration Certificate (COS-2) per brand/product held by the Indian importer, plus IEC/GST and Legal Metrology MRP labelling.
- ShipKorea's flat ₹1,500/kg DDP rate for cosmetics includes freight, Indian clearance, duty and IGST — roughly ₹90–₹150 landed logistics cost per typical 60–100 g unit.
Quick answer
Indian sellers import Korean cosmetics for resale by sourcing from brand export teams or authorised Korean B2B aggregators (MOQ from about ₩1 million), registering the products with CDSCO as importer, and shipping consolidated stock DDP. ShipKorea.in coordinates supplier pickup in Korea, checks batch/expiry, and delivers duty-and-IGST-paid to your warehouse at a flat ₹1,500/kg in 6–9 days — see our Korean cosmetics wholesale service.
Where wholesale K-beauty actually comes from
1) Brand export departments — best pricing and authenticity, but higher MOQ and slower onboarding; they want your CDSCO status and channel plan. 2) Authorised Korean distributors and export aggregators — companies in Seoul/Gyeonggi that hold multi-brand stock (COSRX, Anua, Beauty of Joseon, Some By Mi, Torriden, Medicube, Round Lab, Isntree) and sell mixed pallets to overseas resellers with low MOQs; margins are a little lower but you get 20 brands in one invoice. 3) Retailer B2B programmes (Olive Young Global's wholesale contacts, department-store outlet clearance) — good for trial lots. 4) Manufacturers (ODM/OEM like Cosmax, Kolmar) for private label. Avoid: buying retail on Coupang/Olive Young for resale (no invoices, no CDSCO alignment, grey stock).
MOQ and price bands you can expect
Aggregators: ₩1–3 million minimum, mixed SKUs, typically 40–55% below Korean retail; cases of 24–48 units per SKU. Brands direct: ₩5–20 million per order, 50–65% below retail, exclusivity conversation after 2–3 orders. Popular SKU wholesale ranges (indicative): COSRX Snail 96 Mucin 100 ml ₩9,000–₩11,000; Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun 50 ml ₩8,000–₩10,000; Anua Heartleaf 77 Toner 250 ml ₩11,000–₩14,000; Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA Toner ₩7,000–₩9,000; sheet masks ₩600–₩1,200 each. Ask for batch numbers and expiry ≥24 months on every quote.
Legal route: CDSCO import registration
Under the Cosmetics Rules 2020, commercial import requires an Import Registration Certificate (Form COS-2) issued by CDSCO on application (Form COS-1) by the Indian importer or the manufacturer's authorised agent, per brand and per product category, with a government fee per category and multi-year validity. You submit manufacturer details, product list with ingredients, free-sale certificate from Korea (MFDS-notified status), label artwork and testing/safety information. Processing usually takes 2–4 months. Personal-use imports need no registration — but cannot be resold. Details in CDSCO & BIS approval for Korean cosmetics.
Labels, MRP and marketplace onboarding
Each unit sold in India needs a Legal Metrology label: importer name/address, MRP inclusive of taxes, net quantity, month/year of import, country of origin, customer care details, and — under Cosmetics Rules — the CDSCO registration number, ingredient list in descending order (INCI names acceptable), batch and expiry/'use by'. Nykaa, Amazon (Beauty category gating) and Flipkart ask for the CDSCO certificate and brand authorisation letter; quick-commerce platforms ask for the same plus GST invoices. We over-sticker labels at our Seoul hub before export.
Duty, IGST and landed cost per unit
Cosmetics (HS 3304/3305) attract Basic Customs Duty of about 20% MFN (reduced under the India–Korea CEPA with a Korean Certificate of Origin — many lines around 10%), Social Welfare Surcharge (10% of BCD), and IGST — 18% on most skincare and make-up since the September 2025 GST revision (5% on shampoo, soap, toothpaste, talc/face powder). Our flat ₹1,500/kg DDP rate absorbs freight, clearance, duty and IGST. Worked example: 100 units of a 100 ml toner, 0.13 kg each = 13 kg → ₹19,500 logistics/duty/tax all-in → ₹195 per unit on top of a ₩12,000 (~₹740) wholesale price → landed ≈ ₹935; sells at ₹1,650–₹1,850 in India. Full math in import duty & landed cost on Korean cosmetics.
Authenticity and grey-market risk
Indian marketplaces now delist sellers caught with fakes or unregistered imports. Buy only with Korean tax invoices (세금계산서), verify the supplier's business registration on Hometax, check MFDS notification of the product, insist on batch codes with ≥24 months shelf life, and start with a small test lot. Our Seoul team inspects and photographs stock before dispatch. Read authentic vs fake Korean cosmetics: verify your supplier.
Shipping cosmetics safely
Liquids and creams must be sealed, bagged and packed upright with absorbent liners; aerosols and alcohol-based toners/perfumes are dangerous goods (declare them); heat-sensitive formulas (vitamin C, retinol) benefit from summer heat shielding. We consolidate multiple suppliers at our Seoul hub, repack to minimise volumetric weight, and fly DDP to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai or Hyderabad in 6–9 days. See cosmetics Korea to India service.
Your first 90 days
Weeks 1–4: register IEC/GST, shortlist 3–5 brands, request wholesale price lists and free-sale certificates, file CDSCO COS-1. Weeks 5–8: order a 20–30 kg test lot via our proxy/business sourcing team (personal-use route is not for resale — wait for CDSCO for commercial), prepare label artwork, open marketplace accounts. Weeks 9–12: first commercial import of 50–100 kg DDP, list on Nykaa/Amazon/Instagram, reorder monthly. Related: importing Korean cosmetics to India, buy Korean cosmetics in India.
Frequently asked questions
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