India exports well over a million tonnes of seafood a year, and the buying process is more standardised than most first-time importers expect. What trips people up is rarely the product — it is the sequence. Do these steps out of order and you will pay for it in demurrage or a rejected label. Here is the order that works.
1. Write a real specification before you ask for a price
A price without a specification is meaningless in seafood. A usable enquiry states:
- Species, with the scientific name — commercial names differ by market.
- Cut and presentation — whole round, gutted, HLSO, PD, whole cleaned, fillet, steak. See shrimp cuts explained.
- Size or count band — for shrimp, count per pound; for fish, grams per piece or pieces per kilo. See the size and count guide.
- Freezing method — IQF or block.
- Glazing percentage, stated separately from net weight.
- Packing — inner pack size, master carton weight, branded or neutral.
- Volume and frequency — one container or a monthly programme.
- Destination port and Incoterm.
2. Check that the supplier is actually approved to export
Indian seafood exporters should be registered with the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), and consignments are inspected and certified by the Export Inspection Agency (EIA) under the Export Inspection Council. Domestic food business operations require an FSSAI licence. If your destination is the EU, the processing establishment must additionally appear on the EU's approved establishment list for India. Ask for the registration numbers and verify them independently — a reputable exporter will hand them over without hesitation. Chandrashila Exports is MPEDA registered, EIA approved and FSSAI licensed.
3. Sample before you contract
Air-freighted samples drawn from the grade the supplier would actually ship, not from a display lot. Thaw one, cook one, and weigh one to verify glazing against the declaration. Photograph what arrives so there is a shared reference if a commercial lot disappoints later.
4. Agree the Incoterm — and understand what it moves
| Incoterm | Export clearance | Main carriage / risk | When it suits you |
|---|---|---|---|
| FOB Indian port | Seller | Buyer | You control the freight lane and the carrier. Best if you already have a freight contract. |
| CFR your port | Seller | Seller pays freight, buyer carries risk from loading | Simplest for a first order. One number to compare. |
| CIF your port | Seller | Seller pays freight and insurance | CFR plus a minimum-cover marine policy. |
Whatever you choose, agree it in writing along with the named port. "CIF Europe" is not an Incoterm; "CIF Rotterdam, Incoterms 2020" is.
5. Settle payment terms
An irrevocable letter of credit at sight is the normal instrument for a new relationship — it protects both sides, and the documentary requirements in the LC should mirror exactly the documents listed in step 6. Mismatches between the LC text and the certificate wording are the single most common cause of payment delay in this trade. Read the LC line by line before it is issued.
6. Get the documentation right
The core set: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, and the health certificate issued by the competent authority in the destination's required model. Wild-caught product for the EU also needs a catch certificate under the IUU Regulation. China requires GACC facility registration; the Gulf may require halal certification and municipality label approval; the EU requires TRACES NT pre-notification by the importer and clearance through a Border Control Post. Requirements change — verify the current position with your own competent authority. Our documents checklist is written to be handed straight to a customs broker.
7. Plan the cold chain, not just the freight
Frozen seafood should be held at −18 °C or colder from the blast freezer to your cold store, without interruption. Specify the reefer set point on the booking, ask for the temperature recorder download on arrival, and make sure someone is available to receive the container the day it lands. A reefer sitting on a quay with no power is where good product goes to die.
8. Budget the real landed cost
Product price is roughly two thirds of the story. Add ocean freight, marine insurance, destination terminal handling, customs duty at your tariff line, inspection and testing fees, customs broker charges, inland haulage and cold storage. Then divide by net weight, not glazed weight. That number — landed cost per kilo of actual seafood — is the only one worth comparing between suppliers.
9. Timeline
Realistically: one to three weeks from confirmed order to loaded container, depending on the species and whether it is in season — see the season calendar. Then transit: under a week to the Gulf, three to four weeks to South China, four to five weeks to North Europe. Add a week at destination for clearance on a first shipment.
Start here
Browse what we ship — shrimp, squid, cuttlefish and octopus, fin fish, value-added packs — or read the market notes for China and East Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Remaining questions are probably in the buyer FAQ.