2.9.26 – Laufer Client Advisory: India Tariff Update
On February 9th, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a CSMS message providing operational guidance to the trade community on implementing reduced tariffs on goods imported from India.
Background:
A trade deal between the US and India was reached on February 2nd. This announcement listed the reduced tariff percentage of 18%, from the 50% total currently in place (25% IEEPA Russian Oil & 25% IEEPA Reciprocal).
An Executive Order released on Friday, February 6th , 2026, provided implementation details but addressed only the elimination of the IEEPA Russian oil tariff.
Action:
Today’s CBP operational guidance implements the Executive Order and outlines procedures for removing the 25% IEEPA Russian Oil tariff from all U.S. customs entries effective February 7th, 2026. As the change is retroactive, CBP also provided instructions for correcting entries filed prior to this update.
The information from US Customs also states that IEEPA Reciprocal tariffs remain in effect for products of India.
Next Steps:
Importers should work with their broker to correct any entries filed between February 7-9, prior to the US Customs guidance being released. Tariffs on imports from India currently remain at 25% under IEEPA reciprocal tariff measures; however, additional guidance is expected that may reduce the rate to 18%, consistent with the original trade agreement announcement.
The Laufer Group team will continue to monitor these changes and provide updates on any significant developments.
Please contact your local customer service or sales representative for additional information and service options and continue to visit laufer.com for more market Insights.