Is a en joke a dress? For de fleste markeder betyder svaret knap så meget, fordi begge betaler samme told. In the Forenede Stater it can change the duty on a silk or linen kaftan from 16.9% til 11.2%, once the extra duty on Indian goods is included. This guide explains how customs tells the two apart, where the rates differ, and why the cut of the garment, not the invoice wording, decides. Rates were checked against the official tariffs on 7 oktober 2026.
Two ways customs sees a kaftan
- As a dress. A pull-over kaftan worn in public as a dress is classified with women’s kjoler. US Customs has ruled this way on caftans.
- As an “other garment”. A loose, open or cover-up style kaftan, such as a beach cover-up or a robe-style piece worn over other clothing, is often entered in the “other garments” heading, alongside garments like kimonos and kurtas.
Classification follows what the garment is: its cut, how it is worn and how it is described and marketed. Renaming the same garment on the invoice does not change it, and a wrong entry can be corrected by customs with duty and penalties owed.
Where it changes the duty
| Woven kaftan, lavet i Indien | OS: dress cut | OS: robe or cover-up cut | Storbritannien, EU, Australien |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bomuld | 8.4% + 10% = 18.4% | 8.1% + 10% = 18.1% | Same rate for both cuts |
| Viscose or polyester | 16% + 10% = 26% | 16% + 10% = 26% | |
| Silk or linen | 6.9% + 10% = 16.9% | 1.2% + 10% = 11.2% |
The “+ 10%” is the Section 301 told på produkter fra Indien, collected since 24 juli 2026. In the UK (12%, 0% under CETA), the EU (12%, 9.6% under GSP) og Australien (5%, 0% under ECTA), the dress and robe cuts carry the same rate.
Worked example: a silk kaftan into the US
Silke kaftaner faktureres til USD 10,000, sendes ad søvejen. US duty is charged on the invoice value.
| Classified as dresses | Classified as other garments | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal vagt | 6.9% = USD 690.00 | 1.2% = USD 120.00 |
| Afsnit 301 duty, 10% | USD 1,000.00 | USD 1,000.00 |
| Varebehandlingsgebyr + Havnevedligeholdelsesgebyr | USD 47.14 | USD 47.14 |
| I alt ved indrejse | USD 1,737.14 | USD 1,167.14 |
The difference, USD 570 on this shipment, comes only from the classification. That is why a design that is genuinely a cover-up should be described and photographed as one, and why a design that is worn as a dress should be entered as a dress.
How to get certainty
- Describe the garment fully on the invoice: snit, opening, length and fibre content by weight.
- For a new style or a large programme, ask US Customs for a binding ruling before shipping. Rulings are free and public, and they bind every port.
- Keep fibre-content records. The predominant fibre by weight decides the rate line.
Tjek dit eget tøj
- Import duty on kaftans from India to the US, both cuts with a calculator
- Storbritannien · Germany · Australien · Chile
We manufacture kaftans, dresses and cover-ups in India. Tal med os about styles for the US market.
Kilder
- US International Trade Commission: Harmoniseret tarifplan for USA (kvinders kjoler; other garments; Chapter 99, Afsnit 301 produkter fra Indien)
- USA's told- og grænsebeskyttelse: CROSS rulings database (search “caftan”)
- Forbundsregister: USTR Section 301 notice (28 juli 2026); GovInfo: Merchandise Processing Fee FY2027
- HMRC: UK Trade Tariff; Europa-Kommissionen: Access2Markets; Australian Border Force: Working Tariff Schedule 3
Indicative information from official tariffs, skrevet 7 oktober 2026. Priser verificeret den mod de officielle takster. It is not a classification ruling; for certainty, ask US Customs for a binding ruling.
Planlægning af en kaftan-kollektion? Se hvordan vi arbejder som kaftanproducenter i Indien.
Se Kaftanerne, kimonoer & badetøj lookbook → et glimt af vores seneste kollektion. Anmod om hele sortimentet: flere designs på forespørgsel.
