Calculate FOB, CIF, and landed cost for your export shipments. APEDA-relevant categories, import duty estimates, and per-unit cost in both INR and USD.
| Cost Component | Per Unit (₹) | Per Unit ($) | % of FOB |
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This calculator computes the complete export price chain for Indian food products — from your domestic COGS to the final landed cost paid by your international buyer. It models four standard export pricing milestones: Ex-Works (EXW), Free on Board (FOB), Cost Insurance Freight (CIF), and Landed Cost — and expresses each in both INR and USD at your specified exchange rate.
Ex-Works (EXW) is your cost at the factory gate — COGS plus export packaging. This is the baseline from which all other export prices build. EXW is rarely used as a commercial pricing basis since it places all logistics responsibility on the buyer.
FOB (Free on Board) adds inland freight to the port, port handling charges, and customs documentation costs. FOB is the most common pricing basis for Indian food exports and is the price at which APEDA tracks export performance. When a buyer says "what is your FOB price," this is what they mean.
CIF (Cost Insurance Freight) adds international sea or air freight and marine insurance to the FOB price. CIF is used when you as the Indian exporter are responsible for arranging and paying international freight — common in long-term supply relationships with established buyers.
Landed Cost adds the destination country's import duty and any local port handling to the CIF price. This is what your buyer actually pays to receive the goods at their warehouse, and is the most relevant number for understanding price competitiveness in the destination market.
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) regulates the export of scheduled agricultural and processed food products from India. If your product falls under an APEDA-scheduled category — which includes processed foods, spices, cereals, groundnuts, fresh produce, and marine products — you are required to register with APEDA before exporting. APEDA registration costs ₹5,000 (one-time) and is valid for a lifetime. You also need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT, which costs ₹500 and is required for any export from India regardless of product category.
Core export documents include: IEC Code (DGFT), APEDA registration (for scheduled products), Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Bill of Lading or Airway Bill, Certificate of Origin, Phytosanitary Certificate (for fresh produce), and any destination-country specific certificates (FDA registration for USA, health certificate for EU). A freight forwarder can handle most documentation for a fee of ₹3,000–8,000 per shipment.
India's RoDTEP (Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products) scheme provides a rebate on embedded taxes and duties not otherwise refunded. Rates vary by HS code and product, typically 0.5–4.3% of FOB value for food products. GST on inputs used in exported products is fully refundable as ITC or via a GST refund claim filed on ICEGATE.
Primary channels include: APEDA's buyer-seller meet events, India International Food & Beverage Fair (IIFB), B2B platforms like Alibaba, Global Sources, and Tridge, Indian embassies' trade promotion wings, and direct outreach to Indian grocery distributors in target markets. APEDA also provides a buyer database to registered exporters.
There is no regulatory minimum, but economically, sea freight becomes cost-effective only at LCL (Less than Container Load) quantities of 1+ CBM, equivalent to roughly 200–500kg of packaged product depending on density. Air freight is viable for small pilot shipments of 50–200kg but the freight cost per kg is 8–15× higher than sea, significantly impacting your CIF price.
Disclaimer: Import duty rates are approximate and subject to change. Always verify current tariff rates with your freight forwarder or the destination country's customs authority before quoting to buyers. Exchange rates fluctuate daily — use a forward contract to hedge if your shipment is more than 30 days away.