Import Makhana from India to the USA
Bulk fox nuts, also sold as popped water lily seed or lotus seed, for US snack brands, private label programs, ingredient buyers and distributors. Calibrated by suta grade, sourced from Bihar through a strong network of verified suppliers.
- 4 to 7 sutaCalibrated size grades, from ingredient to flagship retail
- Raw or roastedPlain kernels, or roasted and flavored to your profile
- Bihar originThe state that grows the large majority of the world crop
Can you import makhana from India to the USA?
Yes. Makhana is a shelf stable dried food with no US import license specific to the product, and India is effectively the only commercial origin, so a US buyer sourcing fox nuts is sourcing from India whether directly or through a re-exporter.
Two things catch first time US importers. The first is classification: makhana does not have one universal tariff line, and the code an Indian exporter uses on the shipping bill is not automatically the code your broker enters under the US tariff schedule. The second is the name. Euryale ferox is botanically a water lily seed, not a tree nut and not the true lotus, which matters for both customs description and label copy. Both are covered further down.
Alstoe India Exports supplies raw and roasted makhana to US buyers from a strong network of verified suppliers in the Bihar growing belt. For the complete product range, grade photographs and processing detail, see our full makhana product page.
Why US buyers source makhana from Bihar
Makhana is unusual among agricultural commodities in having essentially one origin. The seed comes from Euryale ferox, an aquatic plant grown in shallow ponds, and Bihar accounts for the large majority of world production. There is no meaningful second source to switch to, which changes how a US buyer should think about supplier relationships and forward cover.
A category still forming in the US
Fox nuts sit in the better for you snacking set alongside popped sorghum and puffed grains, and the US shelf is nowhere near saturated. For a brand or private label buyer, that means the category question is still open rather than settled, which is the opposite of the position in nuts or popcorn.
It behaves like a snack base, not a commodity
Raw kernels take seasoning, coating and roasting readily, and hold crunch well when barrier packed. That makes makhana viable as a finished retail SKU, as a coated or flavored line, and as an ingredient in bars, granola and trail mixes from the same purchase.
Grade is the whole conversation
Suta calibration determines what a lot can be sold as. A buyer who specifies 6 suta and receives 5 suta on the third container has a shelf problem, not a paperwork problem. Locking the grade and the tolerance in writing is the single most important thing a US buyer does at contract stage.
Two forms, sized to your application
Raw popped kernels for buyers who season, coat or pack in the United States, and roasted or flavored product for buyers who want finished goods. Both ship in the same suta grades.
Raw makhana
Popped, cleaned and graded kernels with no seasoning. The base product for US snack manufacturers, co-packers and ingredient buyers who apply their own roast and flavor profile domestically, and the form that gives you the most control over the finished SKU.
- Grades4, 5, 6 and 7 suta
- Best forCo-packing, ingredients, bars, granola
- SeasoningApplied by you in the US
- Label positionSingle ingredient
Roasted and flavored makhana
Roasted at origin to an approved profile, plain or seasoned. Suits private label and direct to consumer brands without domestic roasting capacity. Note that a seasoned product carries a full ingredient statement and its own allergen review under US labeling rules, so agree the formulation before sampling.
- Grades4, 5, 6 and 7 suta
- Best forPrivate label, retail ready SKUs
- SeasoningTo your approved profile
- Label positionMulti ingredient, allergen review needed
Suta grades mapped to US applications
Suta is the traditional Bihar calibration system and it is how every serious makhana contract is written. Larger suta means a larger, more uniform popped kernel. Because popping yield falls as size rises, the larger grades are a limited share of any harvest, which is the constraint that most often surprises a US buyer scaling a retail SKU.
| Grade | Relative size | Harvest availability | US application |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 suta | Smallest export grade | Widely available | Ingredient use: bars, granola, trail mix, coated and ground applications |
| 5 suta | Standard commercial | Widely available | Everyday retail bags, flavored snack lines, food service |
| 6 suta | Large calibre | Limited share of crop | Retail SKUs where kernel size sells the pack, gifting formats |
| 7 suta | Largest grade | Most limited | Flagship SKUs and specialty retail, forward booking advised |
Plan the grade around availability, not the other way round. If your pack design depends on 7 suta, the size needs to be committed early and you should expect a longer lead time than for 5 suta. We will tell you honestly at inquiry stage what is actually available in the grade you want, rather than accepting the order and substituting down at loading. Ask us for the current position before you finalise artwork.
Explore all available makhana grades for photographs, processing detail and the full specification set.
What actually governs a makhana import into the USA
Makhana is a food under US law, so it falls under the Food Safety Modernization Act, and it is a product with a genuinely awkward tariff classification. This is the sequence a US importer of record works through.
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Settle the tariff classification independently
Makhana has no single universal tariff line. India introduced dedicated national subheadings for makhana under Chapter 20 of its own tariff, and Indian shipments have historically also moved under Chapter 8 and Chapter 19 lines depending on form and processing. Only the first six digits of any HS code are harmonised internationally, so the code on the Indian shipping bill does not determine your US entry. Your broker classifies under the US tariff schedule based on the product as presented, and raw kernels, roasted kernels and seasoned kernels can land in different places. Agree the classification before the container sails, and consider a binding ruling if you are committing to repeat volume.
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Confirm the supplying facility is FDA registered
Any foreign facility that manufactures, processes, packs or holds food for US consumption must hold a current FDA food facility registration, renewed every two years, with a Unique Facility Identifier. Shipments from an unregistered facility can be detained or refused.
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Build your FSVP plan before the first shipment
The Foreign Supplier Verification Program sits with the US importer, not the exporter. It is a live program rather than a form: hazard analysis, supplier evaluation, verification activities and records. For a dried, popped, ready to eat product the microbiological and foreign matter hazards are the ones to reason about, and the plan must exist and be produced on request.
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File Prior Notice before arrival
FDA must receive an electronic Prior Notice for every food entry before the goods reach the first US port, filed through the Automated Commercial Environment or the FDA Prior Notice System Interface. The confirmation number links to the customs entry. Errors here are the most common cause of avoidable holds.
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Resolve labeling and the naming question early
Euryale ferox is the seed of an aquatic plant. It is not a tree nut, and it is botanically distinct from Nelumbo nucifera, the true lotus, even though both are commonly called lotus seed in the trade. That distinction affects the common or usual name on your label, your allergen statement, and how the product is described on customs documentation. Any nutrient content or health claim on a US retail pack is separately regulated, and gluten free has a specific FDA definition rather than being a marketing phrase. Settle all of this with your regulatory adviser before artwork, not after.
Documents we issue
- Commercial invoice and packing list
- Bill of Lading or air waybill
- Certificate of Origin
- Phytosanitary certificate where required
- Certificate of Analysis with moisture, foreign matter and microbiological results
- Fumigation certificate where required
- Supplier facility registration details for your FSVP file
- Lot coding traceable to the processing batch
Filed by you or your broker
- Tariff classification and customs entry
- FDA Prior Notice submission
- Foreign Supplier Verification Program plan and records
- Importer Security Filing for ocean freight
- Customs bond, single entry or continuous
- Retail label review, including the common name and allergen statement
The classification and the label naming are the two decisions worth resolving before you sample, because both can change what you order.
What to lock before you contract
Makhana disputes are almost never about food safety. They are about size drift, breakage and moisture pickup, which are all decided by how tightly the contract is written and how the product is packed for the voyage.
Confirm on every contract
- Suta gradeStated, with tolerance
- Size drift allowanceAgreed in writing
- Breakage limitPercentage cap per lot
- Moisture on dispatchSpecified range
- Foreign matterSpecified limit
- Color and uniformityAgainst approved sample
- MicrobiologicalTested per consignment
- Approved sampleRetained by both sides
How we protect the lot
- The approved sample becomes the written quality benchmark, not a marketing reference
- Grading calibrated against your approved sample rather than to a generic suta description
- Moisture barrier packing, with desiccant where the format requires it, because makhana picks up ambient moisture and goes soft rather than spoiling
- Lab testing for moisture, foreign matter and microbiological parameters, with the Certificate of Analysis shipped with the documents
- Lot coding traceable to the processing batch
- Honest availability at inquiry stage on 6 and 7 suta, before you commit artwork to a grade
Review the full quality parameter set for the complete testing and packing specification.
Freight planning for a very light product
Popped makhana is one of the lowest density foods in ocean freight. A container fills by volume long before it approaches its weight limit, which means your freight cost is driven by cubic capacity rather than tonnage. Buyers who budget makhana freight on a per kilogram basis, the way they would for rice or nuts, get the number badly wrong.
The density consequence
Because the container cubes out rather than weighing out, compression of packing format matters more than it does for dense commodities, and consolidation options that would be uneconomic for other foods become sensible here. Discuss carton dimensions and fill at quotation stage, not after booking.
LCL and air are real options
For launch volumes, retail tests and grade trials, less than container load consolidation and air freight are both genuinely viable for makhana in a way they are not for heavier agricultural goods. Tell us the use case and we will advise which structure fits.
Moisture is the transit risk
The failure mode on a long voyage is softening, not spoilage. Barrier integrity is therefore a quality decision rather than a packaging preference, and it is worth specifying rather than leaving to the supplier's default.
| Load port, India | US discharge | Indicative transit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nhava Sheva | New York and Newark | About 28 to 40 days | Widest carrier choice and sailing frequency |
| Nhava Sheva | Norfolk, Savannah | About 28 to 40 days | Suits East Coast and Southeast distribution |
| Mundra | New York and Newark | About 28 to 40 days | Alternative when Nhava Sheva slots are tight |
| Nhava Sheva or Mundra | West Coast | Longer, routing dependent | Confirm per sailing with your forwarder |
| Air freight | Any US gateway | Days, not weeks | Viable for samples, launch stock and retail tests |
From first inquiry to shipment
Share your requirement
Form, suta grade, quantity, US discharge port or gateway, packing format and preferred Incoterm. Tell us the end use, because it changes the grade we recommend.
Quote and availability
Quotation with specifications, honest availability on the grade you asked for, packing options and lead time. If the grade is tight, we say so at this stage.
Sample approval
Samples couriered for your assessment. The approved sample becomes the written quality benchmark for every subsequent container.
Production and QC
Grading calibrated against your approved sample, moisture and microbiological testing, barrier packing, with updates at each milestone.
Shipment and documents
Loaded and documents released, including the Certificate of Analysis and the supplier facility details your FSVP file needs.
Commercial terms
- Minimum order1,000 kg per grade
- Container optionsLCL and FCL
- Air freightAvailable for launch stock
- IncotermsFOB, CFR, CIF
- PaymentAdvance payment or letter of credit
- Private labelAvailable on roasted lines
Trial quantities and first orders
Minimum order starts at 1,000 kg per grade, and trial quantities below that are considered for buyers running a retail test or a grade comparison before committing to a program. Because makhana is so light, a trial lot moves economically in ways a trial lot of a dense commodity does not.
Raise the trial at inquiry stage rather than after the quotation, since it changes both the freight structure and the packing format we recommend.
US makhana import questions, answered
What is the HS code for makhana imported into the USA?
Makhana has no single universal tariff line. India introduced dedicated national subheadings for makhana under Chapter 20 of its own tariff, and Indian shipments have also moved under Chapter 8 and Chapter 19 lines depending on form and processing. Only the first six digits of an HS code are harmonised internationally, so the code on the Indian shipping bill does not determine your US entry. Your customs broker classifies under the US tariff schedule based on the product as presented, and raw, roasted and seasoned kernels can classify differently. Consider a binding ruling if you are committing to repeat volume.
Is makhana a tree nut for US allergen labeling?
Makhana is the seed of Euryale ferox, an aquatic plant, despite the common English name fox nut. It is also botanically distinct from Nelumbo nucifera, the true lotus, even though both are called lotus seed in the trade. The naming affects the common or usual name on your label, your allergen statement and the description on customs documentation. Because allergen declaration is a regulated labeling decision rather than a botanical one, confirm the treatment with your own regulatory adviser before finalising artwork.
What is suta and which grade should I order?
Suta is the traditional Bihar calibration system for popped makhana, and larger suta means a larger, more uniform kernel. As a rough guide: 4 suta is the smallest export grade and suits ingredient applications such as bars, granola and trail mixes; 5 suta is the standard commercial grade for everyday retail and flavored lines; 6 suta is a large calibre grade for packs where kernel size sells the product; 7 suta is the largest and most limited. Because popping yield falls as size rises, 6 and 7 suta are a limited share of any harvest and should be booked forward.
What is the minimum order quantity for makhana?
Minimum order starts at 1,000 kg per grade, with both less than container load and full container options available. Trial quantities below that are considered for buyers running a retail test or comparing grades before committing to a program. Because makhana is very light, small lots move economically in ways they would not for a dense commodity.
Why is makhana freight priced differently from other foods?
Popped makhana is one of the lowest density foods in ocean freight. A container fills by volume long before it approaches its weight limit, so the cost is driven by cubic capacity rather than tonnage. Budgeting makhana freight on a per kilogram basis, as you would for rice or nuts, produces a badly wrong number. It also means less than container load consolidation and air freight are genuinely viable options for launch volumes.
How long does shipping take from India to the USA?
Indicative ocean transit is about 28 to 40 days from Nhava Sheva or Mundra to US East Coast ports including New York and Newark, Norfolk and Savannah. West Coast routings run longer and vary by service. Air freight moves in days rather than weeks and is used for samples, launch stock and retail tests. Confirm current schedules with your freight forwarder before planning a launch date around an arrival.
What is FSVP and who is responsible for it?
The Foreign Supplier Verification Program is a Food Safety Modernization Act requirement that sits with the US importer, not the foreign exporter. You must verify that your supplier produces food meeting US safety standards, through hazard analysis, supplier evaluation, verification activities and recordkeeping. For a dried, popped, ready to eat product the microbiological and foreign matter hazards are the ones to reason about. The plan needs to exist before your first container arrives.
Can you supply private label or roasted and flavored makhana?
Yes. Roasted and flavored makhana is produced to an approved profile and private label is available on roasted lines. Note that a seasoned product carries a full ingredient statement and its own allergen review under US labeling rules, unlike raw kernels which present as a single ingredient. Agree the formulation before sampling, because the seasoning decision affects both your label and your classification.
How is makhana protected against moisture during transit?
The failure mode for makhana on a long voyage is softening rather than spoilage, because the kernels pick up ambient moisture and lose crunch. Product ships in moisture barrier packing with desiccant where the format requires it, and moisture is tested and recorded on the Certificate of Analysis at dispatch. Barrier integrity is a quality specification worth stating in the contract rather than leaving to a supplier default.
What payment terms apply to US makhana orders?
Terms are advance payment or an irrevocable letter of credit. Samples are couriered before contract so the approved sample can be set as the written quality benchmark, which means you assess the product before any payment is discussed.
Explore the full range and other markets
Tell us what you need for the US market
Share the form, suta grade, quantity and discharge port. Tell us the end use as well, because it often changes the grade we would recommend. We respond within 24 hours.
Talk to us directly
- WhatsApp and phone+91 85955 02646
- Directvinayaksinghal@alstoe.com
- Generalalstoeindiaexports@gmail.com
- Time differenceIndia runs 9.5 hours ahead of US Eastern and 12.5 hours ahead of US Pacific. Messages sent during your business hours are answered the following India morning, inside the 24 hour window.
Please note. The information on this page is general guidance for trade buyers and is not customs, legal, tax or regulatory advice. US import requirements, tariff classification and labeling rules can change and are determined at the time of entry, so confirm current requirements with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and your own licensed customs broker and regulatory adviser. Nothing on this page is an offer, and only a signed proforma invoice or sales contract issued by Alstoe India Exports is binding.