Quality Inspection in India for Malaysian Importers

Key takeaways

Garments were about 64% of what Malaysia bought from India in our categories in 2025; seats were most of the furniture.
Since 4 June 2024, imported pre-packaged goods must show their quantity in metric units or as a count, in Bahasa Malaysia or English, at a minimum letter height.
Goods with any part made from pig, such as pigskin linings or pig bristle, must be tagged "Diperbuat Daripada Babi" (Made From Pig) in Bahasa Malaysia, at least 10 mm high, where they are displayed for sale.
Malaysia has two agreements with India: the bilateral CECA from 1 July 2011 and the ASEAN–India FTA from 1 January 2010. Your broker chooses which applies.

What Malaysia buys from India

India shipped US$196 million of the goods we inspect to Malaysia in calendar year 2025, up 11% on 2024. Clothing dominates: woven and knitted garments together were US$126 million. Home goods were US$48 million, led by seating and home textiles.

Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, calendar year 2025, FOB.
Category	India's exports to Malaysia, 2025 (US$ million)
Woven apparel (HS 62)	83.6
Knitted apparel (HS 61)	42.9
Home textiles (HS 6301–6304)	16.2
of which furnishing articles such as cushion covers (6304)	7.9
of which bed, table and kitchen linen (6302)	5.5
Footwear (HS 64)	13.1
Furniture and lighting (HS 9401, 9403–9405)	13.1
of which seats (9401)	9.1
Leather goods and bags (HS 42)	6.4
Rugs and carpets (HS 57)	5.4
Steel and other household articles (HS 7323)	4.2

Where these goods are made in India

Woven garments: Gurgaon, Noida and Faridabad in Delhi NCR, Towns of Export Excellence for apparel. See woven shirt and kurta and ethnic wear inspection.
Knitwear: Tirupur, Tamil Nadu, the Town of Export Excellence for hosiery. See T-shirt and knit top inspection.
Footwear and leather goods: Agra, Kanpur and Ambur, the Towns of Export Excellence for leather products. See leather shoe and leather sandal inspection.
Chairs and furniture: Jodhpur and Jaipur, both Towns of Export Excellence for handicrafts. See dining chair inspection.
Cushion covers and bed linen: Panipat, the Town of Export Excellence for bed linen, and Karur, the Town of Export Excellence for handlooms. See cushion inspection.

Jodhpur has no travel fee. Jaipur and Delhi NCR are US$99 per man-day. Tirupur, Agra, Kanpur, Ambur, Panipat and Karur are charged at actual travel cost, quoted before you book.

Quantity marks on retail packs

The Trade Descriptions (Marking of Quantity for Pre-Packaged Goods) Order 2023, P.U. (A) 296/2023, came into operation on 4 June 2024 and applies to all pre-packaged goods imported into Malaysia. It revoked the Trade Descriptions (Marking of Pre-Packaged Goods) Order 2023, P.U. (A) 197/2023. What it requires:

the quantity in the package, declared by count, length, area, weight or volume, in metric units (m, cm, mm, m², kg, g, l, ml); a count is expressed in numbers;
for goods made outside Malaysia, clear words in Bahasa Malaysia or English;
printing in a colour that stands out from the pack, with a minimum height: 2 mm for count, length and area, and 2 to 6 mm for weight and volume depending on the quantity;
for packs of up to 50 pieces, no pack may hold fewer than the number declared.

This is where a factory check pays off. Garment multipacks, napkin and towel sets, sock bundles and boxed cushion covers all carry a count. The inspector opens sampled retail packs, counts the pieces, measures a declared length or size, checks the units, language and print height against your artwork, and reports any short pack.

Goods made with pig-derived materials

The Trade Descriptions (Goods Made From Any Part of Pig or Dog) Order 2013, P.U. (A) 382/2013, has applied since 1 February 2014. Anyone who displays goods, or parts of goods, made from any part of a pig, whether for sale or as samples, must display them apart from other goods and label, tag or mark them "Diperbuat Daripada Babi" (Made From Pig) or words to that effect. The expression must be in Bahasa Malaysia, or in Bahasa Malaysia followed by a translation, at least 10 mm high, and placed where a buyer can see it. Food is outside the order.

The duty falls on whoever displays the goods, but the information starts at the factory. Pigskin linings and suede in footwear and leather goods, and pig bristle in brushes, are the cases to ask about. The inspector checks the factory's material records for the order, photographs the components, and, if you supply tags, checks their wording and letter height. Confirming the animal species in a leather needs a laboratory.

Rules, trade agreements and time zones

Rules that apply. There is no Malaysia checklist among our import compliance guides yet, so the two orders above are the ones to brief us on. Origin marking across markets is compared on product labelling and country of origin, and, if your specification sets chemical limits for leather, see chromium VI in leather.

Trade agreements. Malaysia's trade ministry lists the Malaysia–India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (MICECA), signed on 18 February 2011 and in force since 1 July 2011, and the ASEAN–India Free Trade Agreement, in force since 1 January 2010. A review of the ASEAN–India goods agreement was launched in August 2020. Which agreement a shipment uses, and at what duty, is for your customs broker; we can check that goods and cartons match the invoice and packing list behind a certificate of origin.

Time zones. Malaysia is UTC+8 and India UTC+5:30, neither with daylight saving, so India is 2 hours 30 minutes behind all year. Our office hours, 9:30 am to 6:30 pm IST Monday to Saturday, run from noon to 9:00 pm in Kuala Lumpur. The report, with photographs and a verdict of Cleared to load, Hold or Not cleared, follows within 24 hours after a supervisor's review.

Booking and price

A pre-shipment inspection costs US$249 per man-day: one inspector, one factory, one working day of 8 hours, report included, plus travel by band. For garments, a during-production inspection catches measurement and shade problems while they can still be fixed. Send your pack artwork with the declared counts, and say whether any component is pig-derived. See pricing or book an inspection.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Do goods from India need Bahasa Malaysia labels?

For quantity marks on pre-packaged goods made outside Malaysia, Bahasa Malaysia or English is allowed. The "Made From Pig" label must be in Bahasa Malaysia, alone or followed by a translation. Other label wording usually follows your own specification.

Can the inspector check the piece count in retail packs?

Yes. The inspector opens sampled packs, counts the pieces, checks declared sizes and units, and measures the print height of the quantity mark. A pack holding fewer pieces than declared is reported as a finding.

Does Malaysia's pig labelling rule apply to leather shoes?

It applies to any goods, or parts of goods, made from any part of a pig, such as a pigskin lining. The label is needed where the goods are displayed. We check the factory's material records and your tags; a lab confirms the species.

Which trade agreement applies to goods from India?

Malaysia has the bilateral MICECA, in force since 1 July 2011, and the ASEAN–India FTA, in force since 1 January 2010. Your customs broker decides which one a shipment uses. Nothing in the quality checks changes.

How does the time difference work with Malaysia?

India is 2 hours 30 minutes behind Malaysia all year. Our office day, 9:30 am to 6:30 pm IST, runs from noon to 9:00 pm in Kuala Lumpur, and the report follows within 24 hours of the inspection.

Know before it ships

Tell us the product, the factory's city and your ready date. We confirm the inspector, the notice time and the price before you book.

Book an inspection Check your city

Quality inspection in India for importers in Malaysia