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East Asia & Pacific · KP

India North Korea

India exported USD 2 M to North Korea in 2024, led by HS 85, and imported USD 4 M. Here are the documents, the gateways and how SSL moves your cargo on the India side.

  • CurrencyKPW ₩
  • Time+3h30 vs IST
  • CapitalPyongyang
  • AccessCoastal
Get a quote for North Korea How exporting works
  • Road
  • Sea
  • Air
  1. Road leg in India to the gateway, SSL fleet · Road
  2. Sea leg to North Korea · Sea
  3. Air leg to North Korea · Air

Road in India, then sea or air onward

Exports from India
USD 2 M
Imports into India
USD 4 M
Trade partner rank
#182

Happiness, on this lane, is the buyer in Pyongyang whose goods arrive on the promised day, and the shipper in India who never has to chase.

At a glance

Region
East Asia & PacificEastern Asia
Income group
Low incomeWorld Bank
Currency
KPWNorth Korean won
Languages
Korean
Capital
Pyongyang
Time
+3h30 vs ISTUTC+09:00
Access
Coastal
Trade partner rank
#182under 0.01% of India's trade

Trade agreements: No India trade agreement in force (MFN terms; check GSTP separately).. Sources: World Bank country classification; ISO 4217 and languages via mledoze/countries; IANA time zones; agreements per India Briefing FTA tracker and Invest India.

Ship from India to North Korea

USD 2 MIndia's exports to North Korea, 2024 (FOB)
USD 6 Mtwo-way trade, 2024
India's top exports to North Korea, 2024
  1. HS 85 Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof USD 984K49%
  2. HS 29 Organic chemicals USD 403K20%
  3. HS 84 Machinery and mechanical appliances, boilers, nuclear reactors USD 264K13%
  4. HS 30 Pharmaceutical products USD 257K13%
  5. HS 28 Inorganic chemicals USD 56K3%

Gateways in North Korea

Seaports: Our desk books the sea leg from Chennai port to the port nearest your buyer.

Airports: Pyongyang Sunan International Airport (FNJ)

OurAirports: large (else medium) airports with scheduled service and an IATA code. Direct service from India NOT verified.

Transit time

By road to Chennai port, then by sea to North Korea, or by air from Delhi. One desk accountable end to end. Our desk gives you the current sailing or flight time for your cargo and your date with the quote.

Source: UN Comtrade, 2024. India as reporter; exports FOB, imports CIF; general trade, all modes; HS 2022 (H6) chapters. Retrieved 29 Sep 2026.

Import from North Korea to India

USD 4 MIndia's imports from North Korea, 2024 (CIF)
67%of the two-way trade is India buying
India's top imports from North Korea, 2024
  1. HS 84 Machinery and mechanical appliances, boilers, nuclear reactors USD 2.7 M68%
  2. HS 40 Rubber and articles thereof USD 489K12%
  3. HS 39 Plastics and articles thereof USD 313K8%
  4. HS 38 Chemical products n.e.c. USD 197K5%
  5. HS 29 Organic chemicals USD 97K2%

On arrival in India the importer files a bill of entry on ICEGATE; customs assesses basic customs duty, the social welfare surcharge and IGST on the assessable value. No agreement rate is available, so the standard tariff applies. Read the import guide →

How SSL moves it

Road in India, then sea or air onward

India leg: by road to the Indian gateway

SSL's fleet moves your cargo by road to and from India's ports and airports.

International leg. The international sea or air leg is arranged by our desk, and our desk arranges customs clearance.

Ask our desk for a quote Email the desk

Outside India? Email (corporatesales@sslpl.in) is the easiest way for our desk to reply across time zones. WhatsApp +91 75062 45557 works too.

Documents

General guidance: verify every shipment with your customs broker and the current DGFT and CBIC notifications.

IEC
An Importer-Exporter Code from DGFT is needed for any commercial shipment to or from North Korea. Guide →
HS code
Classify every line under the HS nomenclature; India's largest export chapter to North Korea in 2024 was HS 85. The 8-digit ITC(HS) code goes on the shipping bill. Guide →
Incoterms
State one Incoterms 2020 rule on the invoice. FOB or CIF suit a port-to-port sea leg; FCA or CPT suit containers handed over inland. Guide →
Certificate of origin
Non-preferential CoO Guide →

Questions about shipping between India and North Korea

Does India have a free trade agreement with North Korea?
No bilateral or regional agreement between India and North Korea is recorded in our sources, so goods move at normal (MFN) duty rates with a non-preferential certificate of origin. Source: Invest India / India Briefing FTA tracker, 2026.
What does India export to North Korea?
India exported USD 2 M of goods to North Korea in 2024. The largest chapters were HS 85 electrical machinery and equipment and… (USD 984K), HS 29 organic chemicals (USD 403K), HS 84 machinery and mechanical appliances, bo… (USD 264K). That is under 0.01% of India's exports to the world. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024, exports FOB.
What does India import from North Korea?
India imported USD 4 M from North Korea in 2024, mainly HS 84 machinery and mechanical appliances, bo… (USD 2.7 M), HS 40 rubber and articles thereof (USD 489K), HS 39 plastics and articles thereof (USD 313K). To claim a lower agreement rate on these goods, the importer needs origin proof under CAROTAR 2020. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024, imports CIF.
How big is India-North Korea trade?
Two-way goods trade between India and North Korea was USD 6 M in 2024, under 0.01% of India's total, which ranks North Korea number 182 among India's trading partners. India imports more than it exports on this lane. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024.
How long does shipping from India to North Korea take?
By road to Chennai port, then by sea to North Korea, or by air from Delhi. One desk accountable end to end. Our desk confirms the current sailing or flight time for your cargo and your date when it quotes. Source: SSL global dataset, 29 Sep 2026.
What certificate of origin do I need to export to North Korea?
A non-preferential certificate of origin is the usual document; both kinds are issued through the DGFT e-CoO platform (coo.dgft.gov.in). Check the buyer's letter of credit or import rules for the exact form. Source: DGFT, 2026.
What is the time difference between India and North Korea?
Pyongyang runs at UTC+09:00 in 2026, which is +3h30 vs IST. Plan calls and cut-offs with our desk in IST; we reply by email across time zones. Source: IANA time-zone database, 2026.
Does Safe & Secure Logistics clear customs for North Korea shipments?
Yes. Our desk arranges clearance for your shipment, or works with your own broker, while SSL's fleet runs the road leg in India. Our desk shares the operator's licence and documents for your shipment on request. Source: SSL site facts, 29 Sep 2026.

Keep exploring

Data: UN Comtrade 2024 · retrieved 29 Sep 2026. Company figures appear only where sourced from SSL's own register.

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