US buyers of pallet stretch film from India usually arrive with the same homework half done: they know the roll specs they want, they have a wrapper model, and they need someone to walk them through duty, tests and transit without surprises. This is that walkthrough — the import path as our US distributor and 3PL-supplier accounts actually run it.
Classification and the 2026 duty stack
LLDPE stretch film classifies under HTS 3920.10 (polyethylene film in rolls) with some polypropylene-based wraps under 3920.20 — base duty on those film lines runs around 4.2% general. The number that changed in 2026: the Section 301 additional action in force since July 2026 applies to Indian-origin goods at roughly 10% on top of the base rate, so a realistic duty-related overhead for quoting landed cost is 14-15% plus the Merchandise Processing and Harbor Maintenance fees. Your customs broker confirms the live Chapter 99 line before you sign anything — and note that several rival origins sit on the same surcharge list, which is why the India price advantage has held through the change. ISF 10+2 filings happen before loading; our document set (commercial invoice, packing list, mill certificate, film test reports) matches what the broker and the FDA-adjacent checks expect for packaging film.
Film standards and the tests behind them
American buyers speak gauge: 80 gauge is 20 micron, 60 gauge is 15 micron, and the wrapper conversation starts there. The test set worth demanding from any supplier: tensile and elongation to ASTM D882, tear resistance to ASTM D1922, and cling performance — one-sided cling for machine grades so pallets stop welding in the truck. Batch certificates for all of these ship with our containers, and our QC adds roll geometry checks (concentricity, unwind consistency) because a roll that hunts on the carriage costs more in downtime than the film is worth. For the gauge-to-load mapping, our machine-grade wholesale guide and gauge-calculation guide give your customers the arithmetic.
Ports, lead times and ordering rhythm
East Coast entries through NY-NJ, Savannah or Houston run 28-35 days ocean from Mundra; LA/Long Beach serves the West Coast with a longer water leg and the rail bill that follows. Production is 7-10 days for standard rolls, plus artwork time on private label; clearance 2-4 days. Realistic PO to warehouse is six weeks East Coast, seven to eight West. US distributors in this category typically order quarterly 40ft HC containers — roughly 18-22 tonnes of film — with machine film as the anchor and hand rolls as the mix-in. Air-shipped trial rolls precede every first container so wrapper trials happen on real film.
Roll specs sit on our stretch film product page; the selection frame is in our manual vs machine guide, and the export-cargo angle in stretch vs shrink for cargo safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
What will duty actually cost me in 2026?
Base around 4.2% on the film HTS line, MPF and HMF fees, plus roughly 10% Section 301 additional duty on Indian-origin goods since July 2026. Confirm the live Chapter 99 rate with your broker and quote 14-15% duty overhead until you see real entries.
Which roll specs do US wrappers use?
Machine film 500mm x 1500m in 60-90 gauge (15-23 micron); hand film 400/500mm x 300m (or 1500ft US spec) in 60-80 gauge. We match core ID and roll OD to your wrapper model.
What documents ship with the container?
Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, mill certificate and ASTM D882/D1922 batch certificates. Your broker files ISF 10+2 from this set before loading.
Can we trial on our wrapper first?
Yes — air-shipped trial rolls from the production family, a pallet test on your wrapper, then the container order. This is how every serious downgauging conversation starts.
