Key takeaways
- Home textiles make up about a third of what Israel buys from India in our categories, a larger share than in the USA, and ceramic tiles add US$78m more.
- Labels must be in Hebrew. English may be added only if its letters are no larger than the Hebrew, and every import shows the country of origin and the Israeli importer.
- Under the "What is good for Europe is good for Israel" reform, many products that meet adopted EU rules can enter without Israeli testing, but the importer carries the responsibility.
- Importers report packaging weights under Israel's 2011 Packaging Law, so ask the factory for packaging weight by material for each item.
What Israel buys from India
Israel is a smaller market for Indian consumer goods than the UAE or Saudi Arabia, but an unusually textile-heavy one. India shipped US$197 million of the goods we inspect there in 2025, of which US$90 million were home goods, about the same as in 2024.
| Category | India's exports to Israel, 2025 (US$ million) |
|---|---|
| Ceramic tiles (HS 6907) | 78 |
| Home textiles (HS 6301–6304) | 63 |
| of which bed, table and kitchen linen (6302) | 32 |
| of which furnishing articles such as cushion covers and throws (6304) | 28 |
| Knitted apparel (HS 61) | 62 |
| Woven apparel (HS 62) | 24 |
| Footwear (HS 64) | 11 |
| Worked stone (HS 68) | 8 |
Home textiles are about 32% of the total, against about 19% for the USA. Furniture and lighting are small, at US$6 million.
Where these goods are made in India
- Bed linen and furnishings: Panipat, Haryana, the Town of Export Excellence for bed linen, and Karur, Tamil Nadu, the Town of Export Excellence for handlooms. See bed sheet and duvet cover inspection and cushion cover inspection.
- Knitwear: Tirupur, Tamil Nadu, the Town of Export Excellence for hosiery. See T-shirt and knit top inspection.
- Tiles: Morbi, Gujarat, the Town of Export Excellence for ceramic tiles. See vitrified and porcelain tile inspection.
For bed linen, typical defects to check for are sizes cut short after washing, thread count or GSM below the order, shade differences between dye lots and loose stitching at corners. for tiles, mixed shade and calibre codes in one lot, warped or chipped pieces and weak boxes. For the full checklists see home textile inspection in India.
Hebrew labels and origin marks: checks at the factory
US trade guidance on Israel, published in March 2026, sets out the marking rules. All imports must show the country of origin, the producer's name and address, the Israeli importer's name and address, the contents and the weight or volume in metric units. Hebrew must be used. English may be added only if its letters are no larger than the Hebrew. Marks should be clear, in a colour that contrasts with the background, and applied directly where possible; otherwise a label is sewn or stuck firmly to the goods or the package. On multi-layer packaging, the outer layer is marked.
Because Hebrew is a script that few factory staff can proofread, a few checks are worth doing on the factory floor:
- The printed label matches the approved Hebrew file letter for letter, and the text runs right to left, not reversed or broken across lines.
- English lines on the same label are not in larger type than the Hebrew.
- The importer's name and address and "Made in India" appear on the product label, the retail pack and the outer carton.
- Sewn labels on bed linen and cushions are secure and the care symbols match the fabric.
Send us the approved Hebrew artwork with your order and we check it against the goods. See product labelling and country of origin.
Rules that apply: EU standards reform and packaging law
There is no Israel checklist in our import compliance guides yet, so here are the two rules that most affect what happens at an Indian factory.
"What is good for Europe is good for Israel." Under this import reform, many products that comply with adopted EU regulations can be imported without testing against Israeli standards. Law firm Herzog Fox & Neeman reports that it took effect across most sectors on 1 January 2025, with transition periods in some areas such as food, and that enforcement was strengthened at the same time. The importer is responsible for the declaration. Ask your importer which route applies to your product. Where the EU route is used, EU test reports, for example for REACH restricted substances or azo dyes, become the evidence, and an inspection checks that the shipped goods are the ones those reports describe.
Packaging Law (2011). According to Israeli law firm Barnea Jaffa Lande, the law makes manufacturers and importers responsible for the packaging they put on the Israeli market. They must contract a recognised body licensed by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (T.M.I.R. is the body named by the European packaging recovery network PRO Europe) and file semi-annual and annual reports of packaging weight. The firm notes an exemption, on notice to the ministry, for packaging under 1,000 kg a year. We could not check these points on the ministry's own site, so confirm them with your importer. At the factory, the useful step is to record packaging weight by material (carton, plastic, paper, wood) for each item.
Trade agreement status and timing
No trade agreement between India and Israel is in force. India's Commerce and Industry Minister and Israel's Economy and Industry Minister signed terms of reference to start negotiating one in Tel Aviv on 20 November 2025, as reported by All India Radio News. Negotiating rounds have been reported since, but no agreement has been concluded. Ask your customs broker about duty.
Israel moves its clocks in summer and India does not. India is 3 hours 30 minutes ahead in Israeli winter (UTC+2) and 2 hours 30 minutes ahead in summer (UTC+3). Our office hours, 9:30 am to 6:30 pm IST, Monday to Saturday, are 6:00 am to 3:00 pm in Tel Aviv in winter and 7:00 am to 4:00 pm in summer. The report arrives within 24 hours of the inspection, after supervisor review, with photographs and a verdict of Cleared to load, Hold or Not cleared.
Booking and price
A pre-shipment inspection costs US$249 per man-day: one inspector, one factory, eight working hours, report included. As a guide, one man-day covers up to five styles of textile items at one factory. Travel depends on the town: none in Jodhpur; US$99 per man-day in Jaipur, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Delhi NCR and Kolkata; actual cost, quoted before you book, in towns such as Panipat, Karur, Tirupur and Morbi.
For a new home-textile supplier, a during-production inspection when the first cut and sewn pieces are ready catches size and label problems while they can still be fixed. See pricing, or book an inspection; bookings are confirmed within 24 hours.
Sources
- UN Comtrade: India's exports by partner and HS code, 2025
- ITA: Israel, labeling and marking requirements (published 30 Mar 2026)
- Herzog Fox & Neeman: reform "What is good for Europe is good for Israel"
- Barnea Jaffa Lande: increased enforcement of Israel's Packaging Law
- PRO Europe: T.M.I.R., Israel
- All India Radio News: India and Israel sign terms of reference for FTA negotiations
- DGFT: Appendix 1B, Towns of Export Excellence
- timeanddate.com: time zones