Candles and home fragrance have long run on thin import margins, so even a low base duty plus current China-era surcharges can compress an already tight spread. Most of this category is small, low-priced, and shipped in volume, which means duty lands on hundreds of near-identical SKUs at once rather than on a few high-value units. When the stacked rate moves, the effect can be easy to miss per item but add up across a quarter.
Representative 2026 estimate stacking base MFN duty (USITC HTS 2026 Rev.10), Section 301 on China-origin goods (USTR), Section 232 on autos and steel/aluminum/copper articles (CRS IN12545), and the 10% Section 122 surcharge that expires 2026-07-24 and is under appeal (Skadden). Your exact per-SKU duty depends on the precise HS code, which MarginGuard resolves from the live HTS schedule once connected. Not legal or customs advice.
Goods from India enter the United States under current reciprocal-era tariff treatment, which layers a country-level reciprocal load on top of the normal HTS base duty set by each product's classification. India's former Generalized System of Preferences benefits, which once let many qualifying lines enter duty-free, have lapsed, so older zero-duty treatment can no longer be assumed. For landed cost, the figure that usually matters is the stacked total (base duty plus the reciprocal load), not the base rate alone, and it differs by product category and by precise HS code. The rate box on this page shows a representative current-era estimate for the category shown; the exact figure depends on how your specific SKU is classified.
India is a genuine diversification option away from China, not a guaranteed low-duty discount. It carries its own reciprocal-era load, so the stacked rate has to be priced out per category rather than assumed from a country's reputation, which is why the per-category rate box matters more than any blanket label. There are two honest catches. First, the lapse of GSP removed the duty-free treatment that historically made certain Indian goods attractive. Second, India's competitiveness is uneven by sector: historically stronger in areas like textiles, apparel, leather, and jewelry, and generally less so in advanced electronics. Treat it as one origin to price per SKU against China and other alternatives, and confirm that any duty advantage you are counting on still applies under today's rules. As general guidance and not customs or legal advice, qualifying for any reduced-duty program depends on rules of origin and proper classification, and the exact rate depends on your SKU's HS code.
That's a single SKU. Across a full catalog the tariff hits every imported product differently depending on its cost and price — which is exactly why margin damage hides until a quarter closes light.
Paste your Shopify URL. In about ten seconds you'll see every SKU that dropped below your target margin after the current India tariffs — and the exact price to charge to recover each one. Free, no login.
Scan your store free →Landed cost = unit cost × (1 + tariff rate). To get back to a target margin M, the recovery price is landed cost ÷ (1 − M). For a $28 candle set from India at a 13% stacked rate, that means charging $22.15 to hold a 40% margin. Round to a clean price point and test it; the point is to stop selling underwater.
The base duty depends on where the product lands in the tariff schedule. Finished candles sit in HTS heading 3406 (candles, tapers and the like), which carries a low base rate; the exact figure depends on the precise HS code and is reflected in the representative rate box on this page. Home fragrance is not one heading: reed diffusers, room sprays, and scented oils often classify under Chapter 33 (essential oils and perfumery preparations, frequently heading 3307 for room deodorizers), while the wax articles and candles themselves sit in Chapter 34. What tends to move the real number is less the wax and more the country of origin and any China-era surcharges stacked on top of the base, so two visually identical candle sets can carry very different landed costs depending on where they were poured. Because the per-SKU rate hinges on the precise HS code, the classification call is what decides the duty.
A common trap in this category is petroleum wax candles from China: there is a long-standing US antidumping order on them, and if your candles are made primarily from petroleum (paraffin) wax and poured in China, a separate antidumping duty may apply on top of the base rate. Merchants who assume a candle is just a candle can be caught out by this on a routine entry. Soy, beeswax, and palm-based candles, and candles from other origins, generally sit outside that order, so the wax composition and country on your supplier spec sheet are not cosmetic details, they can decide whether an extra duty applies. Confirm the specifics of any given entry with a customs professional.
Because much of this category's exposure is the China-specific load (and, for paraffin candles, the antidumping order on top of it), shifting where the candle is actually poured tends to move the number more than reformulating the product. Vietnam, India, and other Southeast Asian sources commonly carry lower stacked rates for finished candles and diffusers, and switching the wax base away from petroleum paraffin may take a China-origin SKU out of antidumping exposure. Confirm with each new supplier exactly what the candle is made of and where every step happens, since country of origin for duty purposes generally turns on substantial transformation rather than just final packaging.
Why is the base duty on candles so low but my landed cost still jumped?
The base rate for finished candles in heading 3406 is low, so the base alone is usually not what hurts; the exact figure depends on the precise HS code and is shown in the representative rate box on this page. The increase typically comes from the China-era surcharges stacked on top of the base, and for paraffin candles from China, a possible antidumping duty as well. Your stacked rate depends on origin and the exact HS code.
Do reed diffusers and room sprays get taxed the same as candles?
Often no, because they usually classify outside the candle heading. Diffusers, scented oils, and room sprays frequently fall under Chapter 33 perfumery and room-deodorizer headings rather than the 3406 candle line, which can mean a different base duty. If you sell both candles and liquid fragrance, treat them as separate classifications rather than lumping them under one rate.
Is there really a special duty just on candles from China?
There is a long-standing US antidumping order on petroleum (paraffin) wax candles from China that can sit on top of the normal duty. Whether it applies turns on the wax composition and origin of your specific candles, so soy or beeswax candles, or candles poured outside China, are typically not covered. Confirm the wax type and country with your supplier, and the specifics with a customs professional, before assuming you are clear.
Is sourcing from India still duty-free under GSP?
No. India's Generalized System of Preferences beneficiary status has lapsed, so goods that once entered duty-free under GSP no longer qualify on that basis. An Indian-origin import now generally pays its normal HTS base duty plus the current reciprocal-era load. If an old supplier quote or landed-cost model still assumes GSP zero duty, it is out of date and should be repriced against the rate shown on this page, which reflects your SKU's category.
Does sourcing from India avoid the China tariff stack?
It can avoid the China-specific tariff measures, such as Section 301 duties, but it does not make goods duty-free. Indian-origin products carry their own base HTS duty plus a reciprocal-era country load, and the stacked result depends on the product category and the exact HS code. Whether moving off China actually protects margin varies by SKU, so compare the per-category rate in the rate box rather than assuming any origin switch automatically helps.
What determines my real landed cost when importing from India?
Two things: your product's HTS classification, which sets the base duty, and the current reciprocal-era load applied to Indian-origin goods, which stacks on top. The combined rate, applied to your unit cost, is what compresses margin, and it differs by category and by precise HS code. This is general guidance, not customs advice; the number in the rate box is directional, so classify each SKU correctly and confirm the current rate for an exact figure.
MarginGuard watches every imported SKU and alerts you the moment a tariff change pushes one below your target margin — with the exact recovery price.
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