Is a καφτάνι a dress? Για τις περισσότερες αγορές η απάντηση δεν έχει σημασία, γιατί και οι δύο πληρώνουν τον ίδιο φόρο. In the Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες it can change the duty on a silk or linen kaftan from 16.9% να 11.2%, αφού συμπεριληφθεί ο πρόσθετος δασμός στα ινδικά προϊόντα. Αυτός ο οδηγός εξηγεί πώς τα τελωνεία ξεχωρίζουν τα δύο, 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 Οκτώβριος 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 φορέματα. 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, κατασκευασμένο στην Ινδία | ΜΑΣ: dress cut | ΜΑΣ: robe or cover-up cut | Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, ΕΕ, Αυστραλία |
|---|---|---|---|
| Βαμβάκι | 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 duty on products of India, collected since 24 Ιούλιος 2026. In the UK (12%, 0% στο πλαίσιο της CETA), the EU (12%, 9.6% under GSP) και την Αυστραλία (5%, 0% under ECTA), the dress and robe cuts carry the same rate.
Worked example: a silk kaftan into the US
Μετάξι καφτάνια invoiced at USD 10,000, shipped by sea. US duty is charged on the invoice value.
| Classified as dresses | Classified as other garments | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal duty | 6.9% = USD 690.00 | 1.2% = USD 120.00 |
| Section 301 duty, 10% | USD 1,000.00 | USD 1,000.00 |
| Merchandise Processing Fee + Harbor Maintenance Fee | USD 47.14 | USD 47.14 |
| Total at entry | 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: κόβεται, 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.
Ελέγξτε το δικό σας ρούχο
- Import duty on kaftans from India to the US, both cuts with a calculator
- Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο · Γερμανία · Αυστραλία · Χιλή
We manufacture kaftans, dresses and cover-ups in India. Μίλα μας about styles for the US market.
Πηγές
- US International Trade Commission: Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (γυναικεία φορέματα; other garments; Κεφάλαιο 99, Section 301 products of India)
- US Customs and Border Protection: CROSS rulings database (search “caftan”)
- Federal Register: USTR Section 301 notice (28 Ιούλιος 2026); GovInfo: Merchandise Processing Fee FY2027
- HMRC: Εμπορικό Δασμολόγιο ΗΒ; Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή: Access2Markets; Αυστραλιανή Συνοριακή Δύναμη: Working Tariff Schedule 3
Indicative information from official tariffs, γραπτός 7 Οκτώβριος 2026. Οι τιμές επαληθεύτηκαν στις ενάντια στα επίσημα τιμολόγια. It is not a classification ruling; for certainty, ask US Customs for a binding ruling.
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