what does us import from india

June 27, 2026

The United States imports a wide range of goods from India, led by electronics, pharmaceuticals, gems and jewelry, machinery, chemicals, textiles, and some food products like seafood.

Big picture: US–India import relationship

The US is one of India’s largest export markets, with goods exports to the US in the mid‑$80–90 billion range in recent years.

In 2024, US imports from India were reported at about $91.23 billion , showing a deep and diversified trade relationship.

Main categories the US imports from India

Here are the key product groups (by value) that the US imports most from India, based on 2024 trade data and recent export guides:

Electrical and electronic equipment – computers, components, telecom gear, and related electronics (around $14.4 billion).

Pharmaceutical products – generic medicines, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and formulations (around $12.73 billion).

Pearls, precious stones, metals, coins – especially cut and polished diamonds and jewelry (around $11.88 billion).

Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers – industrial machinery, engines, and mechanical appliances (around $7.10 billion).

Organic chemicals – chemical intermediates for pharma, plastics, and other industries (around $3.63 billion).

Mineral fuels and oils – refined petroleum products and related items (around $3.23 billion).

Textile-related goods – other made textile articles and worn clothing (about $3.10 billion), plus apparel and carpets.

Articles of iron or steel – semi‑finished and finished steel products (about $2.83 billion).

Vehicles (non‑railway) – auto parts and certain finished vehicles (about $2.80 billion).

Clothing – both non‑knit (about $2.52 billion) and knit apparel (about $2.41 billion).

Seafood – fish, crustaceans, and molluscs (about $2.00 billion).

Furniture and related items – furniture, lighting, prefabricated buildings (about $1.40 billion).

Plastics and rubber products – plastic raw materials and rubber goods (plastics about $1.36 billion , rubber about $1.06 billion).

Carpets and textile floor coverings – a traditional strength of Indian exports (about $1.29 billion).

Quick HTML table: top US imports from India

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Rank (approx.)</th>
      <th>Product category</th>
      <th>Example items</th>
      <th>Approx. 2024 import value (US from India)</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>1</td>
      <td>Electrical & electronic equipment</td>
      <td>Electronics, components, telecom gear</td>
      <td>$14.40 billion [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2</td>
      <td>Pharmaceutical products</td>
      <td>Generic drugs, APIs, formulations</td>
      <td>$12.73 billion [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>3</td>
      <td>Pearls, precious stones, metals, coins</td>
      <td>Cut & polished diamonds, jewelry</td>
      <td>$11.88 billion [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>4</td>
      <td>Machinery</td>
      <td>Industrial machinery, engines</td>
      <td>$7.10 billion [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>5</td>
      <td>Organic chemicals</td>
      <td>Chemical intermediates</td>
      <td>$3.63 billion [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>6</td>
      <td>Mineral fuels & oils</td>
      <td>Refined petroleum products</td>
      <td>$3.23 billion [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>7</td>
      <td>Other made textile articles</td>
      <td>Home textiles, sets, worn clothing</td>
      <td>$3.10 billion [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>8</td>
      <td>Articles of iron or steel</td>
      <td>Steel products, structures</td>
      <td>$2.83 billion [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>9</td>
      <td>Vehicles (non-railway)</td>
      <td>Auto parts, vehicles</td>
      <td>$2.80 billion [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>10</td>
      <td>Apparel (non-knit)</td>
      <td>Woven garments</td>
      <td>$2.52 billion [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>11</td>
      <td>Apparel (knit)</td>
      <td>Knitwear, T-shirts</td>
      <td>$2.41 billion [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>12</td>
      <td>Fish & seafood</td>
      <td>Shrimp, fish, molluscs</td>
      <td>$2.00 billion [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>13</td>
      <td>Furniture & prefabs</td>
      <td>Furniture, lighting, prefabs</td>
      <td>$1.40 billion [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>14</td>
      <td>Plastics</td>
      <td>Plastic materials & articles</td>
      <td>$1.36 billion [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>15</td>
      <td>Carpets & floor coverings</td>
      <td>Rugs, carpets</td>
      <td>$1.29 billion [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Recent and trending context

Public data show that in 2024 the US imported roughly $129 billion in goods from India in total across all categories, highlighting a trade surplus in India’s favor.

Policy‑wise, there is active discussion around a “historic” new trade framework, but that mainly focuses on India importing more from the US; it doesn’t change the current core list of what the US buys from India (electronics, pharma, gems, textiles, etc.).

Different viewpoints: why these imports matter

From a US consumer view, imports from India mean access to lower‑cost generics, diverse clothing, and jewelry , often at competitive prices.

From India’s perspective, these exports are a major source of foreign exchange and support large employment‑intensive sectors like textiles, gems, and pharmaceuticals.

TL;DR: The US mainly imports electronics, medicines, gems and jewelry, machinery, chemicals, textiles and apparel, steel products, vehicles, carpets, plastics, and seafood from India, with total imports around the $90–130 billion range recently.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.